When the Dust Settles
by xxDustNight88
Summary: This is a collection of drabbles/one-shots primarily revolving around characters in the Marvel Universe. Each chapter will state the story summary or prompt, along with the pairing and rating.
1. Falling (Loki)

**Author's Note:** Ahhhhh! So I've recently been toying with the idea of starting a collection of Marvel drabbles and one-shots like how I have my Harry Potter Dust Bunnies. After seeing the new Thor trailer, I just knew it had to be done. So here it is, the very first installment of When the Dust Settles! I can't wait to dive into this. Of course, this will be updated sporadically, the chapters are not connected unless otherwise stated, and I will make sure to let you know the pairing, rating, and summary for each chapter. I'll be marking it as M overall because let's face it, we all know there will be a reason for it at some point! Finally, a huge thank you to starrnobella for beta reading and encouraging me to do this! And for helping me come up with a kick ass title for the series! xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, and information belong to Marvel, the great Stan Lee, and anyone else I'm not sure to give credit to. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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 _Falling_  
Rated: T  
Pairing: N/A  
Summary: Loki was falling, always falling, but what happens when he lands and the healing begins?  
Prompt: _Blue Smoke, Key, Broken Mirror_ _(courtesy of starrnobella)_

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 _Falling_

Sometimes he still felt like he was falling, hurtling through the abyss as his body encountered freezing blue smoke, stardust, and the occasional asteroid. It was a never ending vortex of misery, searing away the very essence of his soul until nothing remained. But currently, he was standing still, staring at the ruins of Asgard and trying to decipher why instead of satisfaction, he felt nothing but dread.

Loki returned from his insipid trip to Midgard to locate his false father, only to come upon destruction. Fire ravished the once beautiful city of Asgard, ancient buildings smoldering as ash and smoke filled the air. Chest aching from an unfamiliar emotion that he refused to acknowledge, Loki's eyes narrowed as he took in the carnage. He glanced to his left, his brother's tense body and horrified expression mirroring his own internal turmoil.

That was always Thor's downfall; he couldn't hide his true feelings, even now. This time, however, Loki couldn't really blame him. He was as incensed as the prodigal son was. His fingers itched for his blades the same as his brother's hand clenched in anticipation of wielding Mjolnir. Magic simmered just under the surface of Loki's skin, making him feel more alive than he had in a long time.

" _Who did this_ ," the dark-haired god seethed, teeth bared as he took a few steps forward and his boots crunching over the remnants of a broken mirror. Glancing around at all the ruin, his body felt primed for the kill, but he refrained from losing control. Yet.

"I know not who cause this destruction, brother, but they will pay." Thor moved forward, Mjolnir now grasped firmly in hand. In the distance, there was an explosion followed by screaming. He jogged forward a few paces before pausing, looking back at Loki as confusion clouded his cerulean eyes. "Are you coming, brother? Do you not wish to avenge Asgard by my side?"

What a pointed question.

The thought tickled Loki's mind, drudging up old memories of a past he'd much rather forget. He'd helped Thor rescue Jane from the Aether, and by extension, defeat Malekith. Then he'd sneakily taken the throne and cast Odin out like had been done to him. Sending him falling into the abyss...at least to Midgard. But he'd helped rescue his false father, so he'd righted his wrong to an extent. However, did he want to fight for Asgard, the place where he was destined to be imprisoned?

Mayhap if he aided Thor, he would not receive further punishment for his transgressions. Granted, they could never truly hold him for long. Narrowing his eyes, Loki glanced around the ruin of the only home he'd ever known. It bothered him that seeing it in such a way tore at him so painfully.

On the other hand, a part of him did feel the tiniest bit of satisfaction, but when he returned his gaze to Thor, that was quickly extinguished. Thor, the Avenger, the _good_ and _righteous_ brother. Somehow, after everything, he still believed Loki could be _benevolent_ in his own right, that he would even _want_ to fight alongside him for the greater good of Asgard.

Loki wanted to scoff, to laugh in Thor's face before teleporting into the astral plane. But as Thor continued to stare at him, a hurt expression now forming on his features, he swallowed back his desires. Instead, he unclenched his fists and relaxed his posture, the way his brother was staring at him far too reminiscent of Frigga.

And that's all it took, the memory of his mother, the key to severing the tie he held with his pain and resentment. Suddenly he was falling again, but more than that...he was reminded of the pain that came after the fall. The incredible bone-shattering explosion as his body finally landed. His ridiculous resentment was the cause of his mother's death and the death of so many others. There were moments in life where you had to accept the pain and move forward. This, right now, was one of those moments.

Loki felt his answer in every healed fracture of his body, but mostly in his fractured heart. It was as if he was shattering all over again. Emerald eyes glinted in the firelight as his lips curled into an almost feral smirk. He felt his weapons materialize into his palms, the cool metallic a reassurance. Meeting Thor's questioning stare, Loki gave him a toothy grin. "For Asgard," he growled, fighting back the urge to laugh, but for an entirely different reason this time. A few cackles broke free of his chest when he glimpsed the look of pure joyous relief on Thor's face.

Battle cries sounding, the two brothers ran through their devastated home toward the heart of the fight. Today, Loki belonged. He was no longer falling, he was flying. Vengeance would be wrought, for Loki was taking up his daggers for Asgard once more.


	2. Office Gossip (FrostIron)

**Author's Note:** Because I am trash for FrostIron, here is a quick and fun drabble about my newest OTP. It's written for the AU Office Gossip Drabble request on Melting Pot, a Facebook group for any and all fandom fanfiction. Enjoy! xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, and information belong to Marvel, the great Stan Lee, and anyone else I'm not sure to give credit to. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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 _Office Gossip_  
Rated: T  
Pairing: Loki/Tony  
Summary: In which Accounting head, Loki Laufeyson, overhears the CEO's secretary, Natasha Romanova, chatting up Human Relations coordinator, Bucky Barnes, about the CEO's recent breakup. Loki takes it upon himself to get the signature he's been needing for those pesky forms. Prompt: _AU Office Gossip (from the Melting Pot Facebook group)_

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 _Office Gossip_

Uncharacteristically, Loki was sitting inside his cubicle playing with the tips of his long, dark hair and wondering just when the lunch hour would roll around. The office had become ridiculously boring over the past few months with little to no gossip to be overheard. See that was the thing, Loki loved to listen to the gossip, but he was never one to spread it. It was much better being the one who knew everything but kept to the shadows until the most opportune moment.

With a heavy sigh, Loki leaned back in his chair, propping his legs up on the desk as he began to flip through a file folder. The forms in the folder all needed the CEO's coveted signature so the entire company could get their paychecks on time. He was just about to call for his "errand boy", Thor, who worked as the mail carrier, when he overheard Natasha speaking to his cubicle neighbor.

Smirking, Loki tipped his head closer to the barrier in order to hear more clearly. "So have you heard the news yet, Bucky?" Natasha whispered, although not quiet enough.

"I've been stuck in this cubicle all day, babe. When do I have time to hear anything unless you stop by?" Bucky replied cheekily. Loki couldn't help but smirk when there was a small scuffle followed by an, 'ouch,' from the man. She must have pinched him or something of the like.

"What have I told you about calling me that in public?"

"Geeze, alright. What is this news? I'm all ears."

"Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts have finally called it quits," Natasha explained casually.

"So he'll be on the prowl again, then?" Bucky replied with a laugh. "You better watch out, Nat. He'll be coming after you, if you're not careful. Always struttin' around in those delicious little pencil skirts."

"If you don't watch yourself, James, Stark won't be the only one single and alone," Natasha's voice had taken on a predatory tone. "Anyways, I'm off to pick up coffee for the sorry bastard. See you for dinner tonight?"

"Of course," Bucky replied, sounding much more cheerful than Loki thought he ought to be. "See ya later."

When it was quiet again, Loki lowered his feet to the ground, the file folder still in hand. Mulling over what he'd just heard, he casually opened the front and peered at the forms he needed Stark to sign. Smirking, Loki stood suddenly, brushing out any wrinkles in his suit. If Stark was newly single, that worked in his favor. He'd been trying to garner the man's attention for far too long. Perhaps now that the man was alone he'd be more receptive to Loki's advances. _Oh yes_ , he thought as he strolled out of his cubicle and towards the CEO's office. _Anthony Stark wont know what hit him._


	3. Worth All This (Steve & Bucky)

**Author's Note:** A friendly little Stucky friendship drabble for all of you. I know it's been ages since I've added to this collection. This was written for Day #4 of the 31 Days of Fanfiction Challenge. The theme is friends. Shout out to my beta starrnobella! xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, quotes, and information belongs to Marvel and Marvel Studios. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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 _Worth All This_  
Rated: T  
Pairing: Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes (Friendship)  
Summary: They always promised they'd stick together till the end of the line. When Bucky starts to waver, Steve has to remind him that their friendship is worth fighting for.  
Prompt: _31 Days of Fanfiction: Day #5 Friends_

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 _Worth All This_

Unable to sleep, Steve wandered through the halls of the palace in Wakanda. Tomorrow, or rather later today, they were putting Bucky into the deep freeze until they could figure out how to deprogram what Hydra had done to his brain. It was for the best, he knew, but that didn't make it any easier to accept.

After all the searching, fighting, and broken promises, he'd finally been reunited with his long lost friend only to have to lose him all over again. As far as fairness went, this was definitely not. It hurt more than it should, and that's what was keeping him from sleeping. After the fight with Tony, he wasn't sure where he stood with anyone, aside from Bucky. His old friend was the one thing that was always a constant and now that he was back in his life, he didn't want to let him go.

Stopping abruptly, Steve realized he was no longer alone. Having arrived in one of the larger rooms, walls made of glass, he'd somehow found Bucky. He was standing in the darkness, staring out into the wilderness of the city beyond. Without saying a word, Steve moved to stand next this his friend, joining him in quiet contemplation.

There was so much to say, but neither knew where to begin. This was probably a long time coming, but still there was no right way to deal with the situation. Something had to be done or more innocent lives would be lost. Steve had to go into hiding as it was, leaving no reason for Bucky to remain vulnerable. He'd be safe here. T'Challa would see to that.

"I meant what I said," Bucky murmured, not meeting his eyes as he shattered their silence. "I'm not worth all this. I am not worth all the fighting, the killing, the lost friendships and alliances."

Steve frowned, recalling this very same conversation on the way to Siberia. He didn't agree with the statement then and he sure as hell didn't agree with it now. Bucky's transformation had been a lot different than his own. Where he was created for the greater good, Bucky was meant for the exact opposite. It was no wonder he felt so conflicted about this. If he had the amount of deaths on his conscious as Bucky did, he'd have lost his mind a long time ago.

Smiling, he reached out and clasped his shoulder firmly in a gesture of familiarity. In that moment all of their past came rushing back. All the times they'd laughed, saved one another, or showed up just in the nick of time. Brooklyn. The war. Everything in between and beyond. It was always going to be this way. Steve and Bucky. Bucky and Steve. Shaking his friend slightly, Steve felt an outpouring of emotion as Bucky finally met his eyes.

"We'll find a way to get Hydra out of your brain, Bucky. You'll see. You'll see that you _are_ worth all this." Steve swallowed thickly, knowing he would do anything to hold true to that promise.

He said nothing else, just let those words sink in for the moment. Bucky seemed to understand, allowing the silence to stretch on but not uncomfortably so. They just stood there, two friends thinking on the past, and the future. Everything was up in the air at this point, and they had to take it one day at a time in order to make it through.

"You'll be there when they wake me?" Bucky's question didn't give away any emotion, but it was there, hidden between the lines nevertheless.

Steve caught the subtext and nodded once before dropping his hand from where it still rested on his friend's shoulder. He sighed, not in irritation but rather in acceptance. "I'll be the first person you see, how about that?"

"Who'd want to see that ugly mug first thing when they wake up?" Bucky teased, cracking a smile for the first time in ages.

"Hey-Watch it!" They shared a laugh, the tension finally dissipating from the atmosphere. At least for the time being. "Seriously, though, you know I'll be there. I'll be there for you…"

"Till the end of the line," Bucky finished, their old phrase binding them together as friends... _brothers_ …

After that there wasn't much left to say so the two friends said their goodnights and returned to their rooms. Neither would sleep, but they felt better after their brief exchange of words. It would be awhile before they'd be able to have a normal conversation again but when they did, it would be worth it. It would be worth every last bruise or broken bone. It would be worth _all_ of this, and no one would be able to tell Steve otherwise.


	4. Realms Apart (JaneThor)

**Author's Note:** So I've never really written a proper breakup scene o this was a new experience. I had no idea who to break apart so I asked my friends and readers for help. I ended up choosing Thor and Jane, one of my favorite MCU pairings. Anyway, despite this being a breakup, NON HEA, fic, I hope you enjoy it. Thank you GaeilgeRua for beta/alpha reading for me so late! Any other mistakes you find are my own. Much love, xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, and information belongs to Marvel Comics, Marvel Studios, and anyone else I should be giving credit to. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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 _Realms Apart_  
Rated: T  
Pairing: Jane/Thor  
Summary: Knowing when to say goodbye can be the hardest part of a relationship.  
Prompt: _31 Days of Fanfiction: Day #17 Breaking Up_

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 _Realms Apart_

Sighing, Jane rubbed at her weary eyes. She'd been staring at the computer screen for hours now, trying to distract herself from thoughts of the inevitable. Thor was coming to see her today, or so he'd promised. It'd been weeks since they'd last had a proper chance to be together and it was starting to wear on her, if she was honest. She missed him, but she also missed a time in her life when she didn't have to worry about someone other than herself. With Thor, she was in a constant state of uneasiness, never knowing when he was coming back or if he was even safe.

It was maddening, as Darcy would tell her. She had to agree. And she was starting to wonder if she could do this anymore. Standing from the computer desk, Jane grabbed her coffee mug and made for the kitchen where she planned to make herself another pot. As she waited for the coffee to brew, she stared out the window and wondered if Thor would even show up this time. It wouldn't be the first time that they made plans and he failed to show up.

He was good for that, but it was a hazard of his occupation, really. As protector of the realms, Thor often had to leave behind those he cared about most in order to secure or destroy villains. She'd known that going in but somehow didn't really look at the effect it would have long-term. She fell too hard too fast, that was all. Looking at it all in retrospect, Jane couldn't help but see that things were not working out as they should. Or as she wanted them.

She wasn't about to settle down and stop her traveling, her research far too important to her. She also knew for a fact that Thor would never choose to stay with her when there were worlds out there to save. He was too kind hearted, unable to simply let the cards fall naturally. She couldn't fault him for that. Hell, she wanted to leave the universe a better place than the way she found it too. That was why she was always searching for answers to the unknown.

Pouring herself a fresh cup of coffee, Jane leaned against the counter for support as she waited for Thor's inevitable arrival. It wouldn't be long now; he was just coming from seeing Tony Stark in New York so at least she knew he was on the planet… Shaking her head at the thought, she tried to figure out what she was going to say to him when he arrived. They'd been through so much over the past few years that there was really no easy way to say goodbye.

Before she could prepare a dialogue in her mind, there was the unmistakable sound outside signalling Thor's arrival. A moment later the door was opening and in strode Thor, a distracted look on his face. When he saw her standing there, his face brightened, but the worry didn't entirely dissipate from his startling blue eyes. When she didn't return the smile he was now giving her, he paused. Running a hand through his blond locks, he cleared his throat and finally broke the silence.

"Jane," he said in his familiar, deep voice. "I have missed you terribly."

"It's good to see you too, Thor…" She began setting aside her half-empty mug of coffee on the counter, her hands beginning to shake with nerves. Ignoring the hammering of her heart, Jane tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and peered up into Thor's concerned face. "I'm glad you were able to come and see me today. There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Are you well?" He asked, worry lacing his words as he examined her face.

"I'm well enough," she replied and then took a deep breath. "I think we need to talk about the two of us. Our relationship… I think that maybe it might be better if we took some time to reevaluate whether or not we're truly compatible." It sounded so clinical and rehearsed coming from her lips, the words she'd been dreading finally spoken aloud.

The smile fell from Thor's face entirely now, her words hitting him in the heart. "Jane, I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say. We love each other-"

"It's not just about love, Thor. We can't build a relationship on love and love alone." She huffed a sigh. "It takes commitment. I need to see you more than once every so many months." Biting her lip, she worried that she sounded selfish, but it was true. Having this intergalactically long-term relationship with Thor was slowly killing her. She was sure it wasn't easy on him either, she just needed for him to see what she did.

Thor's face fell, his brow scrunching up in confusion for moment. "I visit you whenever it is possible for me to do so, Jane. You know that I would be by your side always if I could, but there are circumstances that keep me from doing so."

"You haven't come to see me ages! You blew me off for our last date, even." Jane was on the verge of yelling, her voice raised as she paced the floor of the kitchen. This was difficult...

"Did you expect me to just ignore what was happening across the realms and remain here on Midgard with you?" Thor shouted, rounding on Jane. He blinked a few times, seemingly taken aback by his outburst.

"What?!" Jane sputtered, clutching at her throat. "Of course not, Thor. I would never expect you to do such a thing. I know how much it means to you, ensuring that the realms are safe. I just… I just don't think I can do this anymore." There. She said it.

Thor swallowed, taking a tentative step forward as Jane's words crashed around him. Pausing in his movement, he tried to wrack his brain for what he knew of Midgardian culture in regards to relationships. His heart clenched when he realized what she might be inferring. "Jane," he began carefully, his voice low with hesitation. "What are you saying?"

Sadness filled Jane as she watched Thor, knowing he understood the intent of this conversation, at least to some extent. Tears made her eyes burn and her chest ache from holding everything inside, but she clenched her hands into fists and tried to be strong. Closing her eyes so she wouldn't have to look him in the eyes as she delivered the final blow, Jane exhaled in a rush.

"I can't be with you anymore, Thor. I can't take the waiting around and the constant worry I feel when you're away fighting the unknown."

"Jane, please," Thor tried, reaching out toward her, but she backed away. He watched as she wrapped her arms around her middle as if trying to keep herself from falling apart. Inside, his own heart was breaking. He'd loved Jane since the beginning, her inquisitive nature accompanied with her willingness to take risks grabbing hold of his heart and showing him what love could do for a person. She'd changed him for the better, but now she was trying to let him go...

"Please don't- Please don't fight me on this, okay?" She was barely holding it together now, her voice cracking from the effort it took not to break down. "I'm not strong enough to fight you on this. I need you to accept that while we may love each other, our lives are realms apart. It will never work. Either you'll die or become trapped in Asgard leaving me alone, or I'll die long before you're ready to let me go." She sighed, a small, sad smile gracing her lips. "Either way, we'll never get our happy ending…"

It felt like he was being stabbed a thousand times all at once as his heart shattered. The only reason Thor didn't rush forward and try and take her into his arms was the simple fact that she was right. Jane was right. With the world in disarray and a war on the way, there simply was no time for love and building a relationship that may not even survive to see the light of a new day. Taking a shuddering breath, Thor stepped forward and placed his large hand on Jane's shoulder.

She looked up at him, her brown eyes sad and brimmed with unshed tears. It nearly broke him; the mighty Thor, God of Thunder, willing to break for the love of this brilliant Midgardian woman. She was much stronger than he was, standing here holding her head high as she waited for him to respond to her

"You are right, of course," he whispered roughly. "I will bid you farewell, and hope that one day we may meet again. Be well, Jane Foster." And then he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead, lingering for a tad longer than he ought to. After a moment, he retreated, removing his hand from her shoulder. He turned away from her, striding from the room. With each step his heart hardened, already missing her more than he would ever be able to put into words.

"Goodbye, Thor…" Jane said quietly as he left her alone. When he shut the door, she felt a sense of relief, but that didn't stop her from feeling like the world was ending. She loved Thor, but this was for the best. Swiping away a few stray tears from her cheeks, Jane walked to the window. Outside, she watched as Thor disappeared in an explosion of rainbow light, returning to Asgard and a life without her. "Until we meet again…"


	5. Unexpected Dreams (PepperTony)

**Author's Note:** Well, we're way past Day #19 but I still have this done. I love this ship and I'm happy to share this cute little fluff fic with you. Much thanks to starrnobella for beta reading and Squarepeg72 for alpha reading and helping me with a title! Much love, xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, quotes, and information belongs to Marvel and Marvel Studios, and anyone else that may own any part of it. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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 _Unexpected Dreams_  
Rated: T  
Pairing: Pepper/Tony  
Summary: An unexpected announcement from Pepper keeps Tony from sleeping because reality is far greater than any dream he could have.  
Prompt: _31 Days of Fanfiction: Day #19 Domestic Bliss_

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 _Unexpected Dreams_

After everything was said and done; Thanos was dead and gone. But so were a lot of other people. Friends. Friends who were more like family than colleagues or associates. It was hard to cope most days, but then again, Tony Stark had never really been that good with dealing with trauma. If he'd thought his issues and PTSD were bad before, it was nothing compared to what life was like after the fall of Thanos.

That was why he was so thankful to have Pepper Potts in his life. She was his light, his beacon of hope and reassurance that life was worth living. After having lost so much in his life, she was the one thing that remained steady and strong. After everything had settled, Tony had sped up their engagement, marrying Pepper barely a week after Cap's funeral. After that mess, he'd certainly needed a reason to smile again. Pepper made sure of that. Their wedding was a small, private event where the only attendees were the surviving Avengers and a smattering of their other odd friends and family.

They hadn't needed much more than that. It was enough, and then he'd whisked her off to Bora Bora for a lush and relaxing tropical honeymoon. The trip was everything they needed to wash away the horror of the Infinity War. Basking in the warmth of the sun and each other's love, Tony and Pepper were able to get their minds clear enough to fathom a world where most of everything they'd known was now gone. After two weeks alone, they were ready to reenter the world, a world that was entirely different from the one they'd known just ten years previously.

This is what Tony was thinking about as he laid in bed, the room still dark in the early morning hours. Beside him, Pepper was still fast asleep, her alarm not set to go off for another half an hour or so. Tony's body alarm clock insisted he sleep for about five more hours, but here he was incapable of falling back to sleep. His heart was too full of love for the strong-willed woman next to him, their conversation from the night before still weighing heavily on his mind.

Carefully, so as not to wake Pepper, Tony rolled over onto his other side so he could watch her sleep. Aside from the rustling of the blankets, and Pepper's tiny snores that she would vehemently deny, all was silent. Shuffling forward, Tony placed a gentle kiss upon her forehead, smirking slightly as she frowned and then snuggled closer without waking. It was times like this when there was no business or war to worry about that Tony enjoyed the most.

Uncertainty prickled through him then, remembering what Pepper told him the night before. It was going to change everything, especially their dynamics as a couple. Despite her obvious trepidation at sharing the news, Tony had taken it in stride. It was ultimately for the best, a turning point not only for her, but him as well. Coming from a family such as his, the news of Pepper's pregnancy had taken him by surprise, to say the least.

Pepper was pregnant. Just thinking it made Tony's stomach explode with nerves and his heart beat uncontrollably. He was happy, that he couldn't deny, but he was also nervous as hell. He'd never pictured himself as a father, especially in his line of work. But the threats were all gone, for now at least. Was it really so horrible to think he could relax and enjoy having a family? A family with Pepper. It was something he'd never thought he should dream about until it was smacking him right in the face. Grinning like a fool, Tony reached out and poked Pepper in the cheek.

Her face scrunched up and then she cracked open a single eye to glare at him. "It's early… What's wrong?" Despite her obviously drowsiness, worry could clearly be heard in her voice.

"I can't sleep. I was thinking of baby names."

Both eyes open now, Pepper gave him a strange look. "Tony, it's not even light outside yet." She shifted slightly, her hair falling across her face as she settled back into the pillow. "We can talk about this when you've had some sleep."

"If it's a boy, can we name him Edwin?" Tony asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he tucked a strand of Pepper's long, strawberry blonde hair behind her ear.

She smiled, her eyes opening at the choice of name. After losing his original AI to Ultron, this would be a truly proper way to commemorate the late Jarvis. Placing a hand on Tony's chest, she spread her fingers out across where his heart was steadily beating. "I like that. Can I pick the name if it's a girl?"

Tony pretended to think for a moment, earning his a swat on the arm. He laughed and then nodded. "Sure, I guess that's only fair. What did you have in mind?"

"Maria."

Blinking, Tony felt his chest constrict at hearing his mother's name. He swallowed thickly, not wanting to cry but knowing it was a losing battle. Suddenly, he wished with every atom of his being that the tiny life she was carrying inside of her was a girl. Pulling Pepper into his arms, he allowed the tears to fall. She held him tightly, arms wrapped securely around his frame as he cried for a myriad of reasons.

After some time, Tony did pull away so he could look her in the eye. He nodded and then somehow managed to say, "I think that's a wonderful idea, Pep. Better than anything I could have thought of myself."

Smiling, she kissed his lips. "You're silly. Now, let's go back to sleep for a while. Honestly, I could use a couple extra hours. Friday, reset my alarm for nine am please."

"Of course, Mrs. Stark," the AI system responded before also activating the shutters to keep the light out while they rested.

Turning onto his back, Tony pulled Pepper against his chest and held her loosely. She sighed in contentment as she drifted back to sleep. Tony, however, remained awake for a little while longer, his heart so full and a smile tugging at his lips. As he rubbed Pepper's back affectionately, he decided that this was true happiness… Just Pepper and him, and the prospect of a future family. Just as he was drifting off himself, he whispered, "I love you," into Pepper's ear.


	6. Get Through Tonight (SteveTony)

**Author's Note:** It definitely took me a while to get through this one for some reason. Probably because I kept thinking of LDTA. Anyway, I'm really into this after all. I just love Stony. So good. Much thanks to starrnobella for beta reading! Much love, xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, quotes, and information belongs to Marvel and Marvel Studios, and anyone else that may own any part of it. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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 _Get Through Tonight_  
Rated: T  
Pairing: Steve/Tony  
Summary: After a particularly trying day, Tony and Steve fall into their old habits. Steve finally makes a revelation that just might save them both.  
Prompt: _31 Days of Fanfiction: Day #13 Hurt/Comfort  
_ Song Recommendation: "Can We Hang On?" by Cold War Kids

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Get Through Tonight

Tony walked the short distance from the bathroom and into his bedroom. Wearing nothing but a pair of well-worn jeans, he toweled his hair dry as he went. Everything was sore after his return from New York, from his the top of his head to the tips of his toes. He probably should have sought proper medical attention, but he preferred to feel the pain. It reminded him that he was still alive and that he had purpose.

Tossing the towel aside, Tony grabbed the black t-shirt from his bed and pulled it on over his head. He didn't bother with socks or shoes, having no plans whatsoever of leaving the compound. He was in to stay tonight, not wanting to deal with anyone or any situations. Standing in the middle the bedroom, Tony ran both hands through his damp hair as he tried to figure out what to do next.

He could head to the lab, losing himself in his creations for hours on end. Dinner and then a good night's sleep was another option, as well. God only knew the last time he'd had a decent night of rest. Exhaling in a rush, Tony decided he might as well try and relax one way or another. He was too strung up right now, so much so that sleep would never really happen.

As of an hour ago, Nat was still in a coma and Bucky was once again secured in the deep freeze. Having to come together with Cap and the Winter Soldier had been hard to deal with, but he'd managed somehow. The three of them, along with Nat and Clint, had managed to bring down the newest Hydra operative, but at what cost? Nat was out cold, and technically, so was Bucky. Steve was hiding out in his own room and here he was staring blankly at the wall with no idea what to do with himself.

Rolling his eyes at his own ridiculousness, Tony left the confines of his room and headed for the kitchen. Immediately, he went to the cupboard and removed a glass tumbler, bypassing his usual coffee mug entirely. He needed something stronger than caffeine tonight, that much was certain. _Whiskey_. He needed whiskey, and lots of it. Grabbing a fresh bottle from the alcohol cabinet, he settled himself at the bar and uncapped the bottle.

Before long, Tony was well past the tipsy category and moving into what could be considered drunk. He didn't care, though, pouring yet another glass of his favorite vice. What did it matter if he got drunk off his ass? There was nothing he could do to bring Nat out of her coma or ease Cap's guilt at Bucky having to remain iced up until he was needed again. Chuckling darkly at the audacity of it all, he was just about to down his drink when he heard it. A steady thump, thump, _thumping_ coming from the gym.

Glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the sound, Tony tried to figure out who might be awake this late. Besides him, that is. Swinging himself around on the barstool, he tried to figure out if he should go and investigate. Scoffing, Tony threw back his drink and then hopped from the stool, staggering slightly in his drunkenness. Deciding he may need another refresher, he left behind his glass, instead grabbing the bottle and walking toward the gym.

Upon reaching the doorway, he smirked. Of course it would be him. Why _wouldn't_ Steve Rogers be wide awake at three in the morning, punching the ever loving shit outta a training dummy? Leaning against the door jam, Tony took a swig of the amber liquid and continued to watch his friend work out his pent up aggressions. The whiskey burned going down his throat, but it was nothing compared to the burning he was feeling in his heart at the anguished look on Cap's face.

After a particularly violent right hook, the dummy's head flew off and Cap finally stepped away from it. His breathing was ragged and his knuckles were a bruised mess. Exhaling harshly, he turned around only to falter at seeing Tony in the doorway. Gesturing toward the exhausted veteran with his liquor bottle, Tony tried to give him what appeared to be a nod of approval.

"Looks like I'm not the only one self-medicating tonight," he pointed out before taking another drink. "To each his own, but don't you think we kicked enough ass today?"

"I'm not in the mood, Tony" Steve muttered, his face clouding as he began to head for the door. "Leave it."

"Come on, Cap," he continued, jostling slightly as Steve brushed past him headed in the direction he'd just come from. He was somewhat used to moody Cap these days, his best friend's absence taking its toll on him. "Isn't that what all the shrinks say to do?"

"What?" Steve asked, turning away from the refrigerator where he was just grabbing a bottle of water. "You're making no sense. Maybe you've had too much to drink."

Lifting the bottle, Tony observed that it was now well past half empty. "Hmm, I do believe this _was_ full when I began." Shrugging, he took another drink and then settled himself back at the bar. "I'm at the point of no return, it would seem. Talk it out… That's what all my shrinks always say. _If you talk about it, you might feel better._ "

Steve leveled him with an intense stare as he spoke, downing his water in one, long pull. When he was finished, and Tony had run out of things to say for the moment, he tossed it into the garbage bin and took to leaning against the counter. Crossing his arms, he sighed, knowing that Tony was right, even if he was drunk as a skunk.

"I don't want to talk about what happened today. Nat's in a coma and Bucky is back to hating himself. It was a royal mess and I just want to forget it ever happened." His blue eyes closed, flashes of the fight haunting him and making his heart ache. "I wanted to fully exhaust myself so I can pass out and not worry about nightmares or dreams in general."

"Look at us," Tony said, gesturing between the two of them. "You punching yourself silly and me a drunken mess. What a pair we are. Both dying for our next fix. Trying to find one more way to hurt ourselves so we can't be hurt by someone else." He chuckled, his dark eyes meeting Steve's as he drank from the bottle.

"If I can just get through tonight, I know tomorrow will be better. That's how I have to look at it, Tony. I can't survive if I don't have that optimism, and I can't keep that if I can't turn my mind off. The training helps." Sighing, Steve pushed away from the counter and snatched the bottle of whiskey from Tony before he could finish it off. "What about you, though? Drinking isn't a healthy way to cope."

"And having permanently bruised knuckles is?" Tony snapped, reaching for the bottle even though he knew it was out of reach. "I'm functional enough. I joke. I laugh. I make it through each day… If I could make it through tonight without that whiskey, you know I would."

"Then just _stop_ , Tony," Steve pleaded, setting the bottle aside on the counter behind him. He moved around the bar and placed hand comfortingly on Tony's shoulder. "We've been here before, you and I. This same scenario playing out too many times now."

"What do you mean?" Tony slurred, ignoring the way he enjoyed Steve's touch. He wanted so badly for the horror of the day to be gone, but he needed to finish off the bottle. If he didn't, he'd never black out the way he needed to… The way Steve was able to after a good round in the gym.

"Every time we have a failed mission, you go to the bottle and I go to the gym. And _every_ time, you seek me out afterward." He stopped, smiling a bit as he shook his head. "I can't believe I didn't see it before."

"Stop talking in riddles, Rogers, and tell me what you're going on about." Tony was starting to feel frustrated, and he didn't want that to end in a fight. There'd been enough of that for one day.

"You and me…" Steve let go of Tony's shoulder so he could take his face in both hands. "It's all so clear now. We do this to ourselves because we feel alone, but we don't have to be. That's why you always come find me. You're looking for someone to talk to, to understand what you're going through."

"Uh, no…" Tony countered, frowning. He didn't try to get out of Steve's embrace though. "I just can't stand the sound of you punching the shit out of that dummy… Drives me nuts." When Steve merely continued to smile at him, he swallowed thickly. Not quite trusting himself right now. Damn Steve and his comforting touch, his brilliant blue eyes, and totally kissable lips.

Whoa! Where did that come from? Must be the alcohol, right? But somehow he knew that wasn't true. He knew, deep down, that he really did seek out Steve because he was a comfort to him. He grounded him in times like this and that's what he wanted, no _needed_ , most of all. Wanting to deny everything, if only to keep things from getting too complicated, Tony started to try and explain himself.

"Look, Steve; I don't know what you're thinking, but it's obviously-"

"Shut up, Tony," Steve scolded through a grin before he closed the distance between them and captured Tony's lips in a kiss for the ages.

It was completely unexpected, and their teeth clacked together for a moment before Tony relaxed. He shuddered at the feel of Steve's lips moving over his so gently, but with enough force to remind him that this was, in fact, really happening. His hands found purchase on the taller man's muscular back, holding him close as he licked his way into his eager mouth. Moaning as Steve's tongue began to massage his own, Tony pulled Steve so that he was now standing between his legs.

This felt right, more right than the whiskey. If only he'd known sooner what kissing Cap could do for one's mood. Steve was normally all hard lines and stern pout, but right now he was so much more than that. He was gentle, but firm. Relaxed, but willing. And above all else, clearly infatuated with Tony. It was with an embarrassing whimper that Tony reluctantly allowed Steve to finally pull back to look him in the face.

"How are you feeling now?"

"Surprised doesn't even begin to cover it," he muttered, shaking his head. "But better, a little bit at least." He searched Cap's eyes for any sign that he was regretting what they'd done, but found nothing but contentment instead. "What now?"

"Come on," he mumbled against Tony's pliant lips. "Let's go to bed so I can show you how we'll make it through tonight without losing our minds."

Instead of answering aloud, Tony allowed Steve to kiss him again before taking his hand and leading him through to the bedroom. Maybe he was right. Maybe there were better ways to find solace from his pain than through endless drinking and training. He had no doubt Steve would show him the way, their torment soothed by how they felt about one another. They'd do whatever they needed to survive. _Together_.


	7. Early Morning Dramatics (ThorJane)

**Author's Note:** With NaNoWriMo starting tomorrow, I only needed 187 more words to hit my personal goal for the month of October which happened to be 45k. Well, starrnobella challenged me to write a drabble in 187 words because she knows just how hard it is for me to keep my one-shots short. Well, I managed the challenge and here you are! A cute little Thor/Jane drabble with a sprinkle of Loki thrown in! Much love, xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, quotes, and information belongs to Marvel and Marvel Studios, and anyone else that may own any part of it. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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 _Early Morning Dramatics_  
Rated: T  
Pairing: Thor/Jane  
Summary: When dealing with the stubborn God of Thunder, Jane is forced to turn to the trickster for aid.  
Prompt: _31 Days of Fanfiction: Day #24 Challenge Given to You  
_ Challenge Given: Write a Thor/Jane drabble with only 187 words.

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 _Early Morning Dramatics_

"Thor, how long are you going to take in the shower?!" Jane exclaimed, pounding on the door so hard it rattled in the frame. "I need in there too!"

"It has not been that long, Jane. Do not be so dramatic or I will start thinking you're spending far too much time with Loki," Thor called from the other side, voice slightly raised to be heard over the shower.

Jane's mouth dropped open in shock. "Thor!" she exclaimed, resuming her pounding. "Take that back right now!"

"He has a point, you know," Loki drawled as he walked by, nose stuck in a book. There was a smirk playing on his lips as he paused beside her. Snapping the book shut he added, "You are being rather dramatic for six in the morning."

"Shut it, you," she seethed, pointing a finger at Loki, who's smirk became more prominent. Gesturing to the door, she added, "Instead of being a nuisance, you could at least be of some help."

Sighing dramatically, Loki waved his hand, effectively unlocking the door. "There."

"Thanks. I owe you!" Jane practically sang.

"Yes, you do."


	8. Every Moment (ThorLoki)

**Author's Note:** Basically what it boils down to is that I am currently overwhelmingly addicted to Thorki. I wanted to write a drabble and then it turned into this. It was only meant to be a quick little drabble but then it decided it wanted to be a holiday themed one-shot instead. Anyway, I am super happy with how it turned out and now I want to write ALL the Thorki. That will have to wait though. This is just the first of many holiday fics from me this year so be on the lookout for more. This story is deidcated to my new friends over at This Thorki Thing on Facebook! Thanks for being so welcome, fun, and full of Thorki feels! Many thanks to Squarepeg72 for alpha reading and starrnobella for beta reading and for putting up with the endless fangirling on my part! Much love, xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, quotes, and information belongs to Marvel and Marvel Studios, and anyone else that may own any part of it. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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 _Every Moment_  
Rated: T  
Pairing: Thor/Loki  
Summary: Christmas Eve is not a tradition Loki is familiar with and sees no reason to participate in such affairs. Forced to attend a party of most annoying frivolity by Thor, Loki is shown just how magical Midgardian traditions can be if one is willing to open their heart.  
Prompt: _Distance. Ship. Light. "Every moment I stay here is killing me." (Courtesy of starrnobella)_

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 _Every Moment_

"Every moment I stay here is killing me."

"Do stop being so dramatic, Loki," Thor muttered, unable to keep the amusement from his voice as he continued to drink from his large mug. Midgardian beer was still nowhere as enjoyable to that of his homeland, but he did enjoy it nonetheless. Setting the nearly empty mug down on the table, he turned around to face Loki, who was standing there with a frown on his regal features. "Relax and have a bit of fun, would you? Anthony throws the very best of revels."

"It's a party celebrating a large man in a red suit, _not_ a revel, Thor." Scoffing, Loki slid his hands into the pockets of his black pants as he glared around at the festivities. "At least put me out of my misery and send me home on a ship of some sort."

"You're not going back to Norway tonight. It's Christmas Eve." Thor scowled at Loki, unable to discern why he was so adamant about leaving. Looking around at the other partygoers, Thor watched as they drank, laughed, sang, and talked loudly while thoroughly enjoying themselves. Blinking, he realized what may be bothering the God of Mischief. It was so _simple_.

Never one for crowds, Loki was most likely feeling a tad claustrophobic by the scores of people Tony had invited to his annual Christmas Eve party. Giving the raven-haired Jotunn a look full of understand, he grabbed his mug with one hand before striding forward and looping his free arm through Loki's. He began leading him through the crowd and toward the staircase at the back of compound.

"Thor!" Sounding alarmed, Loki tried to dig in his heels, but Thor was having none of it. Giving into his antics, Loki merely sighed as he continued to be dragged upstairs. "Where are you taking me?"

"You will see," was the only reply Thor gave, a smile gracing his lips. One blue eye glanced at Loki briefly before facing forward again.

"I don't know why I had to even come here to begin with. I would have been fine on my own."

He wasn't lying, for once. He would much rather have prefered to stay at their hidden village in Norway than deal with the scornful stares and whispers from Tony's guests. He may have turned over a new leaf upon the fall of Thanos, but that didn't mean that those he'd tormented in the past accepted him as an _Avenger_. No, he much preferred to keep to his own, allowing Thor to take the lead in such matters and only bring him in when absolutely necessary. A holiday party was anything but.

"I did not wish for you to be alone on Christmas, Loki," Thor answered simply, guiding him through a door at the end of the upstairs hallway. His large hand was warm against the small of Loki's back, and he smiled to himself as he felt Loki unconsciously press back into his palm.

"We do not celebrate Midgardian holidays." A sigh escaped Loki's lips as he was led onto the upstairs balcony, the sounds and chaos from inside disappearing as the door was kicked shut. Immediately, he felt a calm settle over his being, the only light from that of the moon and stars above. This is how he preferred to spend his time...

"No," Thor replied, watching as Loki walked forward and placed both hands on the balcony railing. He always enjoyed moments like this where it was just the two of them tucked away from everyone else. A gentle snow was falling, coating the ground below but not disturbing them atop the covered balcony. "We do not, but it does not hurt to celebrate with our friends who do practice such traditions."

"Honestly, Thor," Loki muttered, shaking his head and then turning to look at him, a mischievous light in his eyes. "I highly doubt Natasha would bat an eye if we'd stayed away this evening."

In that moment, with the snow falling behind him, Thor was seeing Loki as he was meant to be… A king amongst the snow, yet he'd chosen to remain with him here on Midgard rather than return to the realm of Jotunheim once Thanos had been destroyed. He often wondered why that was, though he did not complain. Thor adored having Loki by his side, a comfort, or perhaps something more. Shaking himself slightly, Thor pulled himself out of his thoughts and reached for his mug.

"You are overly argumentative tonight," Thor pointed out, raising an eyebrow as he lifted the last of his beer to his lips. He drank deeply from the mug, finishing his beverage before setting it aside on a patio table. Joining Loki at the rail, he turned his face skyward and peered into the night. "Can you not simply enjoys these moments of peace?"

"Peace… you think this party is _peaceful_? Already Stark has been cut off by Lady Potts and you have been of no help, constantly spurring on Lang's dramatics." This was said with a scornful look, though Loki did not turn to face him.

"I do enjoy it when he grows ever so tiny." Thor chuckled, earning him an elbow to the ribs. Pushing into Loki's side in return, he sighed heavily, knowing his jokes would not quell whatever troubled Loki this night. However, he was rewarded when Loki did not immediately move away from him again, his body curved slightly towards his.

They stood quietly for a few moments, each lost in thought. Presumably, Loki was the first to break the silence, his annoyance clear when he again spoke. "You have much enjoyment for these people you call your friends, but I have no one to share such amusements with."

"You have me."

"Yes," Loki acknowledged, turning his emerald stare upon him. "Yes, I do, but you are well aware of what I am implying. For all of my jesting, you are _not_ as stupid as I make you out to be."

Chuckling, Thor rolled his one eye and placed a gentle hand on Loki's shoulder, thankful when he did not pull away. Thor did know what Loki meant, and it made a sadness fill him, if only for a second. "Give them time, Loki. You of all people understand what it is like to hold a grudge. They will come around eventually; already, Anthony has taken a liking to you."

"I threw him out of a window."

"Yes, but you are not that person anymore."

"Are you certain?" Loki crossed his arms, leveling Thor with his very best glare as he waited for him to try and counter his argument. Yes, he'd been better, but there was always that darkness hidden just below the surface. Loki knew he would always do what was best for him, no matter what the cost it was to others.

"Loki," Thor said, sighing before running a hand over his face. They'd had this conversation more times than he could count. "Leave it. Forget all else and join in the festivities. I will stay by your side, if that makes you feel better."

"I want to _leave_ , Thor." Throwing his hands into the air in frustration, Loki began to pace the balcony as he ranted. "Is that really so much to ask? We've been here for days and I'm tired of having to _behave_ myself. At least when we are alone I can-"

"Don't move!" Thor boomed suddenly, eyes going wide and holding up his hands. In turn, Loki gave him a look of pure panic but remained as still and calm as possible.

"What is wrong?" he asked carefully, swallowing and using only his eyes to examine the surroundings. It had been quite a few weeks since last a battle had taken place, and never had one happened here at the Avengers facility. For all his searching, Loki found nothing amiss. "Should we call for the others?"

"No, I think not," Thor began, just barely biting back a grin. He'd managed to spot it at just the right moment, a sprig of mistletoe hung on the balcony covering. In his pacing, Loki had managed to wander right underneath of it. Oh how fun this would be… "We can tackle this one. _Together_."

Loki opened his mouth to speak but Thor pointed above his head. Cautiously, he glanced up, fingertips already tingling with magic. There, right above his head, was a tiny little plant, harmlessly hanging from the ceiling. "What is it," he whispered, quick eyes examining it thoroughly. "Is it going to grow?"

"It's mistletoe."

"Mistletoe," Loki repeated, enunciating each syllable on its own. Emerald eyes flickered back to Thor, his magic disappearing for the moment. He had the sudden suspicion that this plant was of no harm to him at all. "Care to elaborate or must I continue to stand here for your own ridiculous amusement?"

"It is one of the Midgardians more romantic holiday traditions." Despite all the times Loki had betrayed him, and likely would again, Thor still felt there was something more between him and the God of Mischief. There was no better time than the present to press the situation, especially when Loki looked more than adorable frozen underneath a sprig of mistletoe.

"A _romantic_ holiday tradition?"

Loki laughed, crossing his arms and staring at Thor with narrowed eyes. He was going to say more, perhaps insult such silly Midgardian ways, but then he noticed the way Thor was staring at him. He'd seen that look before, fleetingly over the years, but never truly paid mind to it. Now, though, he was intrigued, a new feeling stirring deep within his heart. He'd wanted for quite some time to broach the subject of possible feelings, but he'd never found the right moment. How was it that _Thor_ managed to do so, and without any help?

"You are in no immediate harm, Loki," Thor answered finally, now unable to keep the smile from his face. "But tradition does state that you must remain there until released."

"And are _you_ planning on releasing me?" Having picked up on the game, Loki allowed his voice to lower, his heartbeat quickening behind his suit jacket. This was a risk, choosing to be forward with Thor, but it was a risk he needed to take lest he never know the truth about Thor's feelings.

"Perhaps."

Thor's answer was coy and it caused Loki's heart to beat ever the quicker. Swallowing thickly as his earlier uneasiness faded away to something else entirely, Loki gestured to the space between them. Deciding he needed to give Thor something to work with, he said, "Would it not be easier for you to help me if you were ever the closer?"

Thor closed the distance between he and Loki swiftly, one hand carding easily through his dark locks and tilting his head so that he could see him clearly. Swallowing, Thor stared down into the emerald eyes before him, enjoying the way Loki's pupils dilated with desire. One timid hand came up to rest on Thor's chest, fingers spread wide as if to push him away, but there was no pressure added from his arm. Instead, those fingertips dug in as if wanting to hold him hostage.

"How," Loki whispered with more certainty now, his breath ghosting across his lips as he stared up at Thor. "How, pray tell, are you planning on releasing me from this mistletoe?" He had a sneaking suspicion he already knew, but he wanted Thor to humor him with an answer all the same.

"Like this," came Thor's raspy reply, and then his eye closed and his head descended at an angle.

Loki kept his eyes open until the last possible second, not wanting to miss a second of their first kiss. As their lips met, he felt as if an electrical shock rocked his body, mingling with his magic. A gasp escaped him as Thor's lips moved over his, and that was all it took. His tongue slid into his mouth, tasting, massaging, _mimicking_ what he obviously wanted to do with his body. Loki couldn't help but moan, his body melting against Thor's as his hands clutched desperately to the soft fabric of his shirt.

He knew not how long they remained like that, enthralled in one another's kisses as the breeze blew the snow flurries around them. In the distance thunder was heard, and Loki smirked into the kiss, knowing it was fueled by Thor's heightened emotions. When the kiss came to its natural end, Loki remained close, his eyes dancing mischievously in the semi-darkness as he stared up at Thor.

"Should I not give you some sort of gift this holiday? Isn't that the proper Midgardian tradition?" Loki quirked one eyebrow at him, the corners of his lips twitching with concealed mirth.

"Every moment I spend with you is all the gift I need," Thor murmured against his parted lips, eyes alight with love. Loki had not been expecting such a declaration of feelings, so he played it down with his usual humor despite wanting to throw himself at the god.

"Sentiment," Loki teased, but he was the one to lean forward and recapture Thor's lips for another taste. Thor didn't seem to mind, his strong arms wrapping themselves around Loki and allowing him to take the lead this time. When at last they separated, he found Thor grinning widely, insufferably so. " _What_?"

"Do you still wish to return to Norway?" he inquired, both hands holding Loki close to his much larger body. His stomach flipped nervously wanting Loki to stay here with him tonight. They did not celebrate Christmas, but he wanted to enjoy this special holiday with the one he loved most, and that was Loki.

Loki held fast, unable to keep his smirk from turning into a true smile. Ducking his head to hide it somewhat, his whispered, "No, Thor. Now stop talking and show me once more how this mistletoe can be properly utilized."

Thor obliged, ensuring that Loki would have no further inquiries about the Midgardian tradition.


	9. Untangled Hearts (FrostIron)

**Author's Note:** I have been waiting anxiously to post this story for you! Written as part of the FrostIron Secret Santa Gift Exchange on tumblr, this story is my third ever FrostIron and I adore it. Writing this pairing is an utter joy and I can't wait to do more in future. Huge thank you to GaeilgeRua who has not ever read FrostIron before but beta read for me! You're brilliant. Any other mistakes you may find are my own. Much love, xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, quotes, and information belongs to Marvel and Marvel Studios, and anyone else that may own any part of it. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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Untangled Hearts  
Rated: T  
Pairing: Loki/Tony  
Summary: Feeling festive for once, Tony enlists Loki's help decorating the Avenger's facility's Christmas tree. When playful singing and banter turns serious, much more is untangled than a simple strand of lights. Will Loki flee or open his heart to the possibility of something more this holiday season?

Written for **ranzdfries** as part of the FrostIron Secret Santa Gift Exchange. I really hope that you enjoy this as much as I did writing it. This is a perfect little mix of angst, humor, and romance!

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 _Untangled Hearts_

"Must we listen to this insufferable excuse for what you call music? It is bad enough you are forcing me to decorate a bloody pine tree." Loki covered his ears with the palms of his hands while glaring daggers at Tony, who was currently attempting to untangle a particularly difficult strand of lights. "We've heard the same song fifteen times in various arrangements."

From where he was sitting on the floor, Tony paused in his task to give Loki a look of exaggerated disgust. "It's part of the holiday tradition, Reindeer Games, so just deal would you?" Glancing back at the ridiculously bound lights in his lap, he added, "You could be a bit more help instead of just standing there complaining about my music selection."

Dropping his hands from his ears, Loki moved to kneel next to Tony and reached for the lights. "It's far worse than the usual drivel you force upon my ears. And what are you trying to do with these?" Holding them aloft, Loki quirked an eyebrow as he met Tony's brown eyes.

"They're for the tree; they light it up so the ornaments look all pretty and shiny," Tony explained as he pulled a box of Christmas bulbs toward himself. "Kind of like when you do your magic thing to put on your helmet."

"I don't wear my helmet to appear _shiny and pretty_ ," Loki muttered, dropping his eyes to focus on the task at hand. Nimble fingers quickly undid the knots while smoothing out the line of lights. "I wear it as a sign of my stature."

"God of Mischief and all that?" Nudging Loki playfully on the arm, he was graced with another scornful glance. However, Loki's face quickly fell, his shoulders slumping too. Suddenly on alert, Tony didn't say anything else for a minute, instead waiting for Loki to speak.

"Yes, or at least, that is who I used to be. I've not had occasion to wear my helmet in honor for quite some time." Loki began to move to his feet, wanting to be alone and get away from all the _festivity_ that was Tony and Christmas and _love_.

"Hey now, don't get all hurt feelings on me, Reindeer Games. I was only teasing," Tony said softly, one hand reaching out to rest on Loki's forearm. It stilled his movement and caused him to glance back at him. "You seem a little more on edge today than usual. What's got your horns in a twist?"

Rolling his eyes, Loki handed over the now usable lights while thinking on Tony's question. It wasn't so much that he was against these strange Midgardian traditions, it was that everyone appeared to be so happy while he was not. He was alone in this realm, Thor having left him in the care of Tony and the other Avengers while he disappeared to seek answers to questions Loki was not privy to.

"It's not that difficult to discern, Anthony," Loki said with a sigh as he looked to the bare pine tree waiting to be adorned with the lights and ornaments before them. As it was, he could not find it in himself to say aloud how he was feeling, but somehow Tony seemed to understand all the same.

"Look," Tony began and then cleared his throat. "I know your current situation isn't exactly what you were probably wishing for this holiday season, but it could be worse. You could be holed up with the big green guy instead of the man in the red and gold suit made of iron." To emphasize his point, Tony waggled his eyebrows suggestively, his face practically glowing with his grin.

"You're insufferable, Stark," Loki drawled, finally rising to his feet to give his attention to the tree now. He chose to ignore Tony's comment about Banner entirely, instead focusing on the here and now. He really couldn't complain; living with Tony had proved more comfort and entertainment than what he'd expected to begin with. Heaving a sigh, he stared down his nose to where Tony was still sprawled on the floor. "What now?"

Climbing to his feet, lights in hand, Tony walked to the tree and gave Loki a smirk. "We wrap these around the branches and then add the ornaments. Easy peasy."

"Done." Loki waved his hand, the green and gold of his magic tugging the stand of lights from Tony's hands. It began to wrap its way around the tree, settling on the fresh branches and bringing life to the room. When it was complete, he turned then to the boxes of bulbs, fully prepared to do the same when Tony grabbed hold of his wrists.

"NO!" He shouted, hand tightening around Loki's wrist so that he couldn't use his magic. Loki's eyes widened, but he said nothing while Tony continued to hold him still. "No," Tony said more softly, "No more magic. Half the fun is literally hanging the ornaments yourself. Come on, give it a try."

Grabbing a few baubles from the box he handed one to Loki and then placed his own on a branch. Turning to the god of mischief, he quirked an eyebrow. Emerald eyes rolled and then he placed the bauble he held on another branch. He said nothing, eyes narrowed as he swiped the remaining ornament from Tony's hands and placed it a bit higher on the tree. Tony hid his smug smirk by bending to retrieve a few more. Knowing that if he made a comment, Loki would likely storm out of the room, he allowed the silence to continue on until the tree was nearly full.

"Think you can handle this for a minute while I grab the star for the top?" Tony inquired, gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb. The tree topper was still packed in one of the cardboard boxes that littered the living area room of the Avengers facility.

Adjusting the ornament he'd just placed, Loki took a few seconds before turning to glance at Tony. Sighing as if in annoyance, though he really didn't mind, he said, "This is nothing, Anthony. I am certain I can finish this task alone."

"If you're sure…" Tony trailed off, backing away from the tree.

"I am," Loki nearly snapped, somewhat offended that Tony thought him incapable of finishing the tree on his own. How hard was it to simply place these baubles upon the branches? Untangling the lights seemed more of a tedious type of task than that.

"Okay. You got it, Reindeer Games. You're on your own." Smiling at how Loki had taken to decorating the tree, Tony turned away and began looking for the right box with the star. In the meantime, he also began humming along to the music playing on the radio. Humming along to the tunes, he paid no mind to Loki or when his humming turned to singing.

" _They never let poor Rudolph, join in any reindeer games…"_

" _What_ did you just say?" Loki's head head snapped up from where he was rummaging through the box of ornaments, emerald eyes narrowed at the now cringing Tony. Always, Loki had wondered where the insipid nickname Tony insisted upon calling him had hailed from, and now he knew. Some _ridiculous_ Christmas song!

Tony had the sense enough to look sheepish, his concentration on searching for the tree topper hindering his ability to realize what song he was singing along to. Turning around slowly to face Loki, he tried to assess the situation. Was Loki mad or simply irritated? That would definitely make a difference as to how the next few minutes was going to play out. Taking a few hesitant steps toward the Jotunn, he crossed his arms and shrugged.

"I suppose you were bound to find out eventually," he began, unable to keep the smile from his face. He hoped Loki wouldn't be so put out over the reveal that he'd want to stay someplace else. He was known to do that from time to time when the two of them had disagreements. Often, he would end up staying with Barton just to get away from him. When that happened, Tony found himself feeling more than alone, especially since no one really wanted to stay at the facility since the whole Sokovia Accords debacle. With the holidays upon them, he _really_ didn't want to be alone for Christmas.

Settling Tony with the full power of his emerald glare, Loki threaded his fingers together in front of himself and tried to find a way to articulate himself without losing his temper. "What I would like to know, _Anthony_ , is who is Rudolph and why was he not permitted to participate in these said _reindeer games_?"

Blinking, Tony faltered for just a second. He'd not expected that question, and he wasn't sure he was prepared to reveal the truth of it. His mouth twitched from trying not to laugh or smile. "Hmm, well. I think that it would be easier for you to watch the movie it's based off of, but it you really want to know…" When Loki raised one eyebrow without standing down, Tony sighed. "Fine. Rudolph is a fictional reindeer who had a glowing, red nose and because he was different, all the other reindeer wouldn't let him play with them."

"Why-," Loki started and then paused to sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose in irritation. "I am afraid to even ask why you are insinuating that I am a reindeer." Loki knew of these creatures, having hunted them across the realms once upon a time.

"It's the horns," Tony said simply, now unable to keep the grin from stretching across his face. He used his hands to demonstrate, forming the horns that Loki wore upon his helmet.

"The horns?" Loki blinked at Tony, his mind putting the pieces together quickly. "Because my helm has horns?" He watched with slight satisfaction as Tony dropped his hands and began to look uneasy.

"Yeah," Tony quipped, and then for good measure added, "The games part is because you don't, uh, play well with others." He was biting his tongue to keep from laughing, the affronted look on Loki's face making him nearly tremble with amusement. His face fell, however, when Loki literally growled. "Well-Hey! It's nothing to get all worked up about-"

Loki didn't let him finish his futile attempt at placating him. With his eyes trained on the Midgardian fool, Loki waved his hand and used his magic to unwind the lights from the tree. With a simple flick of the wrist, he watched with his own amusement as the lights quickly shot forward and wrapped themselves around Tony, effectively binding him. Once secured, the lights ceased movement and Loki stalked forward until there was naught but three paces between them.

"You truly are _insufferable_ , Anthony," he hissed, emerald eyes narrowed as he leaned forward to stare into Stark's face. "I don't know why I ever chose to stay here with you. My helmet is not meant to be made into some sort of _joke_. I earned the right to wear those _horns_ and I someday again wear them with pride."

Wriggling in an attempt to get free of the lights, Tony met Loki's furious stare. "Look, Loki; I called you that long before I knew it was a sensitive subject for you. It just sort of stuck. I'm sorry, alright? Now untangle me before I have to get Friday involved."

Smirking, Loki straightened himself and took a step backward. "I should leave you here alone. That would teach you not to tease me anymore." He sounded petulant, but was feeling slightly hurt by this revelation. Granted, he and Tony did not have the best of beginnings. He'd thrown him out a window and destroyed his fancy tower, but he thought they were moving past all of that. In fact, Loki had started seeing Tony as a friend, if not maybe something more. Perhaps, he'd read the signs wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.

"No!" Tony barked out, eyes wide with fear and something else. He didn't want Loki to leave and not just because he had no idea how long it would be until Friday was able to find someone to get him untangled. "No, don't go! I don't want to be stuck like this."

"Then, perhaps you should have thought about that before insulting me as such," Loki crossed his arms and continued to glare at Tony. Glancing about the room at the unfinished tree and boxes of decorations they were _supposed_ to be using to create a festive atmosphere to enjoy together, Loki suddenly felt very out of place. "I think I'll go and stay with Barton for a few days until you can-"

"Don't make me beg-ARAGHH!" Tony had tried to take a step forward to prevent Loki from leaving and so he could apologize properly. Unfortunately, he was so tightly bound that the smallest movement sent him careening forward, his body barreling right into Loki.

Standing with arms crossed, Loki was entirely unprepared for the body tumbling at him. Tony hit him with full force, tackling him to the floor and causing them both to lose their breath. The lights flickered but remain on, digging into both of them with Tony smashed on top of his prone form. Coughing, Loki managed to get his hands free and made to shove Tony off of his body but something in Tony's voice made him pause. Rather than rolling the man off of him, he instead moved his hand to grab hold of his shoulders so Tony could see his face.

"Je- _sus_ ," Tony muttered after catching his breath. His body ached and he could only imagine how Loki was feeling, squished under him as he was. Now he _really_ had a mess to fix. "Wow, that was certainly not how I expected to demonstrate how I was falling for you."

"Seriously, Anthony, and they call _me_ the 'graceful' one," Loki began to chastise, but faltered. What had Stark just said? Did he just make a joke about _falling_ for him? _Him_? Him being Loki? Of Jotunheim? Or Asgard, on a good day? The one who had invaded Midgard and thrown him out a window? Certainly he had misheard. Perhaps he'd hit his head upon the floor in their fall. "I'm sorry. I must have misheard you? Did you say you were-"

Eyes comically wide, Tony suddenly realized what he'd said, or rather, what he'd just done. Groaning, he tried to rock himself so he could roll off the Frost Giant squashed underneath him, but Loki held fast. Resigned, he let his face plop forward onto Loki's chest. He barely had a hold on these budding feelings and now he had to somehow explain them to Loki. Surely, this would send him off to Barton's if making fun of his helmet and tackling him to the floor had not already sealed that deal.

"I guess the cat's outta the bag," Tony muttered against Loki's chest, thankful Loki couldn't see his face right now. Sighing, he continued talking to Loki's chest rather than his probably smirking face. "I don't want you disappearing to Barton's anymore," he admitted, grimacing at how weak he sounded. "I like when you're here and I… I may sort of…like you too."

There. He'd said it. Finally. After a couple of months of struggling with developing feelings for someone meant to be their prisoner, Tony had spoken the words aloud. Pepper would be so proud of him for admitting to his feelings, if she still talked to him, that was. Hell, no one ever wanted to talk to him anymore other than Loki. Maybe that's why he felt like this. Was it love? Hardly. Well, not yet anyway. It probably could be if it was left to grow, but that would depend on Loki and his reaction. The guy was probably ready to bolt.

Still tense, Loki relaxed his body underneath Stark's as he thought about what he was saying. Proclaiming one's feelings was not a joking matter so coming from the annoying genius, this was a significant moment. Tony enjoyed his presence and missed him when he retreated to Barton's occasionally. If he was honest with himself, truly honest, Loki did miss Tony's snark and incessant prattling when he was away. It was why he always returned after two or three days. He supposed he hadn't read the signs wrongly this time.

Tony had feelings for him and here he was admitting them freely. Placing his hands flat on the floor, he pushed himself up slightly so he could stare down at Tony, who was still hiding his face in his chest. Loki smirked, unsure if that was from embarrassment or the fact that he was still bound in the Christmas tree lights. Reaching out, he cupped Tony's chin and tilted his face upward so that they were now staring into one another's eyes. Words could be misconstrued, but actions spoke louder, so that's what Loki went for.

He leaned down, eyes fluttering closed and pressed his lips lightly to Tony's. At first Tony froze, but that didn't last long once he realized what was happening. Loki felt the moment he let go, his lips pliant underneath his the longer he remained. It wasn't a long kiss, but it spoke volumes, allowing Tony to see he was not alone in his feelings. When it ended, it was with a sigh from both of them as they stared at one another.

"I take it you're feeling the same sort of way?" Tony asked, unable to keep the grin from his face as he waggled his eyebrows. This caused Loki to roll his eyes, but he was not annoyed. "I hadn't really figured out what was happening between us until just now."

"No, Anthony," Loki began dropping his hold on the man's chin to rest it upon his shoulder. He rubbed his thumb back and forth. "I am not opposed to acknowledging these feelings. I hardly realized they were there myself, and being who I am, I assumed that you would be unwilling to reciprocate such affections."

"Do you know me? I'm Tony Stark. I run toward danger," the genius proclaimed, his eyes sparkling in the light from the strands still wrapped around his body. "And you, _Reindeer Games_ , are the perfect embodiment of that."

Shaking his head with a smile, Loki couldn't even find it in him to chastise Tony for using that nickname again. Instead, he playfully rolled him to the side, enjoying the way his eyes went wide for the briefest of seconds as he hit the floor. Moving to straddle his prone form, Loki took hold of his face and leaned in close so that their lips were mere breaths apart. Wetting his own with the tip of his tongue, he enjoyed the way Tony's pupils dilated. There would be time to explore that later. For now, Loki wanted to take this slow which is why he held back his desires.

"You are a fool, Anthony," he muttered, brushing his thumb over Tony's bottom lip affectionately. "But you could be my fool, if you'll allow it." Loki waited with bated breath as Tony considered his words, his heart hammering away behind his ribcage. Luckily, Stark did not make him wait for long.

"How hard did I hit you when we fell?" Tony teased, flashing him a toothy grin. Before Loki could reply, he carried on, "That's the whole point-of course I want to give this twisted thing a shot. Now, are you going to kiss me or what? Or, you know, we could-"

But Loki never found out what they could do because he stopped the man's rambling by closing the distance between their lips and kissing him soundly. This kiss held much more passion than their first, both of them tasting, learning what the other liked. When at long last they broke apart, both had flushed cheeks and were grinning through swollen lips. Deciding they'd spent enough time on the floor, Loki stood and then stared down at Tony, shaking his head.

"You are a sight to behold, Anthony," he told him, gesturing to his prone form. "Who needs decorations or a tree when they have the Man of Iron wrapped in lights."

"Very funny, Loki," Tony grumbled as he squirmed about on the floor. Loki found it adorable. He always did like his lovers bound at his feet. "You going to finally get rid of these lights so we can finish decorating the tree?"

Taking pity on the man, Loki waved his hand, levitating Tony into a standing position and allowing the lights to untangle before returning to the tree. For good measure, and lack of patience at this point, Loki also made sure the last of the baubles and the elusive topper found their way onto the tree as well. With the tree finished, he banished the boxes to the side of the room and turned to give Tony a smug smile.

"I should be mad you finished this using your magic instead of by hand, but I'm just glad you're no longer upset with me," he said honestly, stepping closer to Loki and wrapping his arm around his waist.

Loki returned the gesture and sighed heavily. "Anthony, I've grown tired of decorating. There are far better things to engage in now that this has been taken care of, don't you agree?" He gave Tony his most dashing smile. It worked because in the next second, Tony was forcefully dragging him toward the couch.

Loki allowed himself to be manhandled into sitting down if only because Tony had taken hold of his hand. His skin felt warm and it made his heart race all the more. By the way Tony was looking at him, he felt the same. They had it bad, the pair of them. Loki sat down in the corner of the couch, sighing with contentment as Tony settled against his side. He wrapped one arm around his shoulder and placed his other hand on Tony's denim covered thigh.

"Promise me one thing," Tony asked, the corner of his mouth tipping up slightly as he stared at Loki.

"What is that?" Loki inquired, running his long fingers up and down Tony's thigh. He felt the smaller man tremble, and suddenly he looked forward to learning what he liked in a lover.

"Don't disappear for the holidays, even if I do or say something stupid. I hate being alone at Christmas." Tony frowned, feeling only slightly better having admitted that aloud to someone other than Pepper.

"I won't go running to Barton's for the holidays if _you_ promise _me_ one thing," Loki proposed, giving Tony a stern look. He knew this had to be important based on the fragile look in Tony's brown eyes.

"What's that?" Tony asked breathlessly, enjoying the feel of Loki holding him far too much. If they kept this up, they'd be lovers before midnight.

"Never call me Reindeer Games again."

"Sure thing, Bambi," Tony answered happily, tilting his head to rest it upon Loki's shoulder and batting his eyes playfully. He chuckled, already knowing he was going to get reemed out when Loki finally found out where _this_ nickname came from.

Sighing, Loki didn't even bother to roll his eyes at the nickname. He'd heard it before and now it was only a matter of time before he discovered _its_ origins. "Do I even want to know where _that_ name hails from?"

"Probably not. Let's just enjoy the tree, kay?" he asked, glancing up to find Loki staring down at him, eyes amused this time. "We can make some hot chocolate later and watch _Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer_. How's that sound?"

"Fine, Anthony. Just fine," Loki replied and then kissed him into silence. Tony didn't seem to mind, allowing his heart to be open for the first time ages. They spent the rest of the evening cuddled on the couch, basking in the glow of the tree lights and watching classic holiday movies. Both were content in one another's arms despite their rough beginnings and for that, they were grateful.


	10. Luck of the Draw (Stony)

**Author's Note:** I have been waiting anxiously to post this story for you! Written as part of the Steve and Tony Secret Santa Gift Exchange on tumblr, this story was written in a single sitting and I can't even believe how cute it turned out. I absolutely love this pairing and can't wait to write the final chapter of Lay Down This Armor after the holiday season is over, so be on the lookout for that. Huge thank you to articcat621 who not only helped me come up with a prompt scenario but kindly read this over! I can't even believe that one of my writer idols is helping me write fics… Thank you so much! Any other mistakes you may find are my own. Much love, xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, quotes, and information belongs to Marvel and Marvel Studios, and anyone else that may own any part of it. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

. . . .

 _Luck of the Draw_  
Rated: T  
Pairing: Steve/Tony  
Summary: When Tony encourages the Avengers to participate in a Secret Santa gift exchange, he discovers that the luck of the draw plays a larger part in the festivities than originally planned.

Written for asexualferret as part of the Steve and Tony Secret Santa 2017. I hope that this is something you were wishing for this Christmas! Enjoy!

. . . .

 _Luck of the Draw_

 **Three weeks ago…**

"Okay, everyone," Rhodey shouted over the dinnertime chatter. "Can I have your attention for a moment?" Everyone in the room stopped to listen, especially Peter, who was the newest member of the Avengers and always so eager to please. When all was mostly silent, he cleared his throat and continued. " _Some_ of you expressed that we should participate in our very own Secret Santa gift exchange this year." He emphasized some and looked to Tony, who smirked.

"You're kidding right?" This came from Nat as she stood from the table to put her dish in the kitchen. "Who the hell came up with that idea?"

"Might be fun," Tony quipped, sitting back to recline in his chair with arms crossed behind his head. "You need to have more holiday cheer."

"I should have known," Nat muttered, kicking the leg of his chair as she went past. Peter snickered which earned him a wink from the Black Widow.

"I knew this was going to be a bust." Rhodey ran a hand over his shaved head. He was sitting at the head of the table, a cup with torn pieces paper placed inside. Earlier, Tony had talked him into this nonsense and shoved the cup and paper names into his hand.

"Aw, come on, you guys," Tony started, standing to come to his buddy's aid. "It's going to be Christmas; let's get into the holiday spirit."

"What is a Secret Santa?" Vision asked quietly, leaning over so only Wanda would hear.

"It's when we each get a secret person to buy a gift for," she replied, patting his arm. "You exchange on Christmas, revealing who you bought for."

"What's the catch?" Steve inquired, finally speaking up from the other end of the table. His blue eyes glittering with suspicion.

"No catch, old man. Just holiday cheer." Tony kept his eyes trained on Steve, knowing he would cave and then get everyone else to jump on board too. "Don't you think there's been enough death, destruction, and depression?"

"Depression? Really, Stark?" Nat was back and as she took her seat to the right of Steve, she rolled her eyes. "We're all not that bad off. You're over exaggerating."

"It might be fun, I guess…" This came from Bucky, who was seated next to Nat and ignored when she turned to him with raised eyebrows. He placed his hand on her thigh affectionately and shrugged his shoulder. "I'm in. It's the first Christmas we're all actually going to be together."

"We've still got three weeks to go. Don't jinx it," cautioned Sam, earning a him a glare.

"What do you say?" Tony was looking at Steve, knowing it was all up to him now. "Are you going to be a Tiny Tim or a Scrooge?"

Looking around at all the faces at the table, Steve took a deep breath. Exhaling and shaking his head in defeat, he held up his hands. "Alright, fine. I'm in. Let's do it. Who am I to deprive everyone of some Christmas cheer."

"Yes!" cried Peter as he jumped from his chair in excitement.

This only caused Tony's grin to grow. Gesturing to Rhodey, he said, "Okay. You're up. Let's choose our giftees."

"I'm going to get you for this, you know that right?" Rhodey gave him a hard stare as he stood and held the cup out to Peter. Tony merely smirked.

Peter picked a name, his cheeks going bright red before he tucked it into the pocket of his jeans. Vision was next, reading his name and then disintegrating the little piece of paper, his face unreadable. Wanda picked after him, and then Steve, Nat, and Bucky. All looked fairly pleased if not determined. Rhodey held out the cup for Tony, but he shook his head.

"You go first."

"Gee, thanks." Nevertheless, he picked a name and looked at it quickly before tucking it into his back pocket. "Saving the best for last?"

"As always," Tony returned, twirling his fingers before slipping them in the cup and selecting the last name. Pulling it free, he felt everyone's eyes on him as he unfolded it and read, _Steve_. This certainly was an interesting turn of events. Keeping a straight face, he glanced up at his friends. "Everyone good?"

There were a few glances at each other, some confused that he didn't make a bigger deal about who he picked. For the most part, everyone seemed pleased so that was a good thing. When there were no objections, Tony nodded and then exited the room, plans already formulating in his mind. Everyone watched him go, confusion beginning to run through their minds.

"That was underwhelming," Nat pointed out, a deep frown on her face.

"You're telling me," Rhodey said with a sigh, setting the empty cup down so he could finish his dinner. "Now, we wait."

 **Two weeks ago…**

"So who'd ya get, Cap?" Tony asked as he plopped himself down on the corner of the couch. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and began fiddling around with his stock apps.

Not bothering to look up from his sketchbook, Steve muttered, "I'm not telling you, Tony. It's called _Secret_ Santa for a reason." Shaking his head, he returned to his project, brows furrowed in concentration.

"Just a hint?" he further prodded, nudging Steve with the toe of his shoe. "I'll tell you who I have."

"No," Steve replied, finally glancing up. "You won't, and then you'll run and tell everyone I told you. Not gonna happen, Tony. You're just going to have to wait until Christmas to find out, same as everyone else."

"So it's not me then?"

"Don't you have a press conference or something?"

Tony frowned, and then quickly swiped through his phone to find his calendar. "Shit!"

"Language," Steve scolded with an amused grin.

"Shut it, you," Tony snapped, throwing his legs around to stand. "I'll get you, Cap." And then he hurried from the room, already on the phone with Pepper reciting well-practiced apologies.

Steve just laughed and continued shaking his head as he sketched. Stretching out on the couch now that he was alone, he was thankful for a sudden burst of inspiration. If Tony thought he was going to get him to reveal his Secret Santa, he was sorely mistaken. It was going to be fun watching him try and break him, though.

 **One week ago…**

"Come on, Capsicle. You gotta at least give me a hint. Who's your Secret Santa?" Tony was standing in the doorway to the bathroom.

" _Seriously_ , Tony?" Steve called out from inside the shower stall. Turning around, he was thankful the steam from the hot water had entirely fogged up the glass. "I'm taking a shower here."

"Yeah, so?"

Sighing and realizing Tony wasn't going anywhere, Steve finished rinsing the soap from his body and then turned off the water. Opening the door just enough, he reached out and snagged the towel from the rack. Quickly drying his hair a bit, he wrapped the towel tightly around his waist and then stepped from the shower. Glaring at Tony, who was smirking where he leaned against the doorjamb, he crossed his arms.

"Privacy. It's a thing and you obviously have no problems crossing the line," Steve told him, waiting for the inevitable snarky reply.

"Nah. I just thought I might catch you off guard for once." Pushing away from the door, Tony sauntered over and quirked a single eyebrow at Steve. "So you going to tell me?"

Crossing his arms and shaking his head once, Steve simply said, "No."

"Okay. I can respect that." Pursing his lips and nodding, Tony looked away briefly. Getting an idea, a huge grin appeared on his face. "I guess I'll just have to wait…" Then, he reached forward grabbed the corner of Steve's towel and bolted from the room. Steve's shouts of fury echoed after him all the way down the hall.

 **Christmas morning...**

Everyone was awake surprisingly early, eager to find out who had them for the gift exchange. Tony sat on the corner of the couch with his cup of coffee as each person revealed their giftee. Rhodey went first, giving his gift to Peter. Peter had Wanda, who in turn gave a gift to Sam. Sam had pulled Bucky's name much to his chagrin and annoyance. Bucky accepted the gift kindly though, their previous grievances forgotten for the holiday. Bucky, in turn, happened to have Rhodey which left them at a point where someone who hadn't given a gift yet had to go next.

"I'll go," Steve volunteered, unable to wait any longer. He'd managed to keep his Secret Santa partner a secret for three weeks, despite Tony hounding him at every turn. Standing up from where he was sitting by the tree, he grabbed his gift and walked over to where Tony was sitting. Heart pounding from nervousness, he muttered. "Merry Christmas, Tony."

"Me?" Tony said in bewilderment and surprise. He truly had not expected this turn of events. "You had me and you wouldn't even let me know?"

"That's the _secret_ part of this," Rhodey intoned, taking another swig of his coffee. "You're not meant to know."

Tony ignored that, his eyes trained on the package Steve held in front of him. He glanced up, a smirk on his lips. "What is it?"

"I wasn't sure what to get the man who had everything, so I went with something sentimental," Steve explained, voice soft. There was a little smile on his face as he handed the thin parcel to Tony. "I hope you like it."

Tony took the present hesitantly, his eyes meeting Steve's briefly as it was exchanged. He had no idea that Steve managed to get his name for the Secret Santa. He thought he'd sussed out who everyone had, but clearly he'd been wrong. Settling back on the couch, he ran a hand over the classic red wrapping paper. Steve had forgone bows and ribbon, instead keeping it practical. Using the tip of his finger, he slit open the taped end and unwrapped the gift.

"Oh," he breathed out as the gift was revealed to him. He felt the wrapping paper slide to the floor as he continued to gape at the gift. It was a framed drawing, one obviously done by Steve. It was brilliant, the lines and shading rendering a quality picture that could have been a photograph if he hadn't known Steve was an artist. That wasn't the best part, though.

The actual drawing was a rendering of Tony and Steve, probably done from memory. They were sitting together on the couch in the original Avengers tower. Tony was sleeping, his head resting on Steve's shoulder while the former read a book. Steve's arm was around Tony's shoulder, a look of utter contentment and happiness etched on his features. Tony recalled, vaguely, when this could have occurred, but had never really thought about it before. Looking back now, perhaps this had been the beginning of their budding romance. Glancing up from the art, Tony realized that his feelings had blossomed into much more and, apparently, so had Steve's.

"This is…" Tony began and then had to stop to clear his throat. He shook his head and stood so he could be eye-to-eye with Steve. "This is perfect, Steve."

The soldier smiled, nodding his head at the praise. "I'm glad you like it. I've been working on it since I pulled your name three weeks ago."

"Seriously, this is just...perfect." Again, Tony looked down at the picture and then set it aside, ready to do something he knew was going to cause quite a stir in the room. Stepping forward, he closed the space between him and Steve so that he could wrap the man in an embrace. At first, Steve seemed stiff and surprised, but he slowly relaxed, his arms coming up to return the gesture. Sighing in relief, he muttered, "Thank you."

As they parted, Steve cleared his throat, obviously a bit uncomfortable with everyone gaping at them. "You're welcome." He made to return to his seat on the floor by the tree, but Tony reached out and grabbed his hand to stop him. Steve looked at their locked hands, but didn't say anything.

Biting her lip to keep from grinning, Nat elbowed Bucky and whispered, "This is going to be good." He had to agree, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and holding her close to watch the show.

"Wait just a sec there, Capsicle," Tony rushed to say. "It's my turn to give my gift, and it just so happens, I managed to pull your name from the cup."

"No!" Peter gasped in surprise, whipping out his phone to document the exchange. Nat reached over and grabbed hold of his hoodie so he wouldn't try to jump up and interrupt.

"How did you manage that?" Steve laughed, watching as Tony bent to retrieve a small wrapped gift from under the tree.

"Just the luck of the draw, I guess." Smirking, Tony handed over the package and then leaned back, practically bouncing on the balls of feet. He was actually rather nervous about his gift for Steve. It had taken a lot of work to get this for his friend so he hoped it was worth it.

"I can't believe you didn't squeal," Nat pointed out, a rare smile on her lips.

"Well, to be honest, Rhodey had to help me a out a bit." He winked at his friend, who waved him off and took a sip of his coffee. "Had to go through some government red tape and legislation to get ahold of this thing."

"It was nothing, man."

Now, everyone was staring at Steve, waiting with bated breath for him to open the gift. Giving one last glance toward Tony, Steve removed the wrapping to reveal a dark, wooden box. Curious more than before, he used his thumb to open the gold latch and then lifted the lid. For a second, all he could do was stare, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Tony…" Steve was at a loss for words, his eyes unable to look away from the gift.

"What is it?" Vision asked quietly, peering around Wanda to get a closer look.

"It's his Purple Heart medal from the war," Bucky answered, voice full of awe and wonder.

"What do you think?" Tony was anxious to see what Steve thought of the gift, and even more anxious to see how he would react.

"Honestly," Steve began, scratching the back of his neck as he met Tony's eyes. "I think this is the best gift I've ever received. Thank you. Really, Tony, thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"You're welcome," Tony replied without any smugness. They continued to stare into one another's eyes, the air around them beginning to thicken with something they'd both been ignoring for quite some time now. They stood there, unsure of what to do next, or if they should even make a move.

Taking the initiative, Steve grabbed the front of Tony's classic Black Sabbath t-shirt and tugged him forward. He wasted no time, sliding a hand around the man's neck and then kissing him soundly. Tony's eyes fluttered closed as he began to return the kiss. This was exactly the response he'd been hoping for, wanting nothing more than to finally have Steve realize they were in love with one another. Obviously, it had worked. Cheers and cat calls erupted in the room as they shared their first kiss, finally giving into their suppressed feelings.

Untangling herself from Bucky's shocked form, Nat placed her hands over Peter's eyes, causing the boy to blush furiously. "Hey, not in front of the kid." Both grinning like idiots and blushing slightly, the new couple broke apart and glanced at their comrades.

"Yeah," Bucky called out, finally breaking from his stupor. "Get a room!" He was grinning too, obviously more than happy for his longtime friend.

"Does this mean I can have my own room here now?" Peter asked, looking excited at the prospect. If the two moved in together then there would be a free room in the sleeping quarters.

"Sure, kid," Steve answered, enjoying the way Tony wrapped an arm around his waist. "You can have Tony's."

"What?!"

They all laughed at Tony's outburst, everyone going back to what they'd been doing. For the rest of the morning, the crew opened the last of the gifts and then ate breakfast, simply enjoying the presence of one another this holiday season. Steve and Tony sat together on the couch, wrapped up in one another and the realization that they no longer had to ignore the feelings they felt. By noon, they were both dozing lightly, allowing Nat to snap an actual picture of the couple that was nearly identical to the one Steve had drawn. It would later be printed out to join the drawing and Purple Heart displayed on their dresser after Tony moved into Steve's bedroom.


	11. Starlight Wishes (DarcyBucky)

**Author's Note:** I adore the Marvel fandom so very much. This was written for the Marvel-ous Gift Exchange which started through the Facebook group, Marvel Fanfiction Extravaganza! It's a great place to find and share all Marvel fanfiction. I'm thankful to be a part of it seeing as there are not many places to share my Marvel fics. I'd like to thank starrnobella for beta reading and Squarepeg72 for alpha reading, as well as GaeilgeRua for combing through this with her grammar Nazi skills! Any other mistakes you may find are my own. Much love, xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, quotes, and information belongs to Marvel and Marvel Studios, and anyone else that may own any part of it. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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 _Starlight Wishes_  
Rated: T  
Pairing: Darcy/Bucky  
Summary: New Year's Eve is a time for making resolutions, or wishing on shooting stars in Bucky's case. It just so happens that his wish for a fruitful New Year comes in the form of one Darcy Lewis. Luckily, she doesn't seem to mind…

Written for articcat621 as part of the Marvel-ous Gift Exchange 2017. I love that I was able to gift you not one, but two fics this holiday season! I hope this is everything you wanted! It turned out super fluffy!

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 _Starlight Wishes_

New Year's Eve. It was a time for making resolutions, a time for new beginnings. Unfortunately, Bucky felt like that was always going to be a pipe dream for him. Glaring at the star-filled sky, the Winter Soldier decided that he really should just sneak back to his room and go to sleep. At this point, there was no reason for him to stay up and ring in the New Year. Sighing, he was about to do just that when a shooting star blazed across the sky. It was gone so quickly, he wasn't even sure it was really there.

Nevertheless, Bucky closed his eyes and made a silent wish that this year could be different. Maybe he'd wipe out some of the red on his ledger, make friends with the Avengers who still hated him, and possibly find someone to love. Laughing as he opened his eyes to the now cloudy sky, Bucky thought he had a better chance of magically regrowing his arm than falling in love this year. As he thought about this, the door to the roof was thrown open, but he chose to ignore it, hanging his head and waiting for whoever it was to go away once they figured out he was the one up there.

"Oh," Darcy faltered at seeing Bucky standing against the rail. He was staring down into the training field below, his hair partially shielding his face from view. Upon hearing her voice, he turned, however, his eyes trained solely on her. "Sorry… It's Bucky, right?"

Surprised she'd used his real name, Bucky nodded.

"Oh good. I was afraid I'd got it wrong and it was really Bradley or Benji or some other random shit." She walked forward, the door closing behind her so she could stand at the rail too. "I'm always getting names wrong. There's so many to learn these days.. Sam, James...but he goes by Rhodey, Wanda, Steve… It's neverending."

As she continued rambling on, Bucky stared at her with curious eyes. Why was she up here and so willingly talking to _him_ of all people? Wasn't she friends with that doctor that was seeing Thor? Why wasn't she downstairs with them, drinking and enjoying the party? Quirking an eyebrow, Bucky turned his attention back to the sky as if to say, _Did you do this?_ There was no answer save a chilly breeze ruffling their hair so he turned back to his surprising companion.

"I'm Darcy, by the way. Not sure if you knew. Anyway…" she trailed off there, realizing she'd been doing all of the talking. Although, she sort of knew he wasn't big on talking. Usually when he was around, he either stood or sat in the corner and just watched what was happening. She was probably disturbing him with her sudden intrusion. "I hope you don't mind me interrupting whatever it is you were doing. I just needed a break from Thor and Tony's singing and felt like up here was the best place to be."

"You can stay," Bucky said with a small smirk. "I can't imagine my company will be much better."

"What were you doing anyway?" Darcy asked, leaning her arms on the rail and heaving a sigh. "It's fracking cold up here."

"Making stupid wishes on shooting stars," he told her, figuring there was no reason to lie.

"Really?" Darcy startled, sending him an amused grin. "I just… I wouldn't take you as the type of person to wish on a star and believe it to come true." Take down an entire army on his own, sure, but wish on a shooting star, hell no.

"Normally, I'm not. Felt like the right thing to do." Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "New Year's Eve and all that."

"What did you wish for?"

"If I tell you, it won't come true," he replied, playfully nudging her with his elbow. When she said nothing, he grew worried he'd overstepped his boundaries so he turned to look at her. She was staring at him with her mouth hanging open. Now, he was really worried. He didn't need this chick running to Stark and having him thrown back into the deep freeze. "What's wrong?"

"It's… I feel like I've been here before." Frowning, she glanced back and forth before meeting his stare. "Like deja vu or some shit. I felt it when I opened the door too, but it was really strong just now, hearing you say that to me."

"Weird," Bucky remarked, suddenly feeling that maybe his wish on the shooting star wasn't so frivolous as originally thought. Clearing his throat, he had to admit that since Darcy arrived on the roof, he too had been feeling rather different. Something about her drew him in, making him smile and be honest more than he'd been with anyone since coming back here, aside from Steve. "I'm sure it's nothing. Not like we're destined to be together or something…"

"What?" Darcy was taken aback. What did he just say? Shaking her head, she tried to get rid of this feeling.

"Don't mind me," Bucky muttered, returning his gaze to the training field below. "Just an old man rattling on about wishes and what ifs." Damn it, he knew he should have just gone to bed earlier when he'd thought about it. Now he was trying to field off questions and _feelings_ that had no explanation behind them.

Darcy gave Bucky one last sharp glance before staring up at the sky. She said nothing, wondering if what she felt was more than simply deja vu. It wouldn't be the strangest thing that ever happened to her. No, that was probably when those birds just flew up from the ground… Or when Jane disappeared for five hours or… Yeah, okay. She'd dealt with some weird shit over the years. Had Bucky wished for her or something else? Maybe she was just in the right place at the right time… Either way, it wouldn't be so bad.

Trying to be sneaky, she peered at him through the curtain of her curls. He wasn't ugly. Far from it, not that it really mattered. It was a perk. He was muscular, like something out of one of those wrestling magazines. She smiled, definitely a perk. He had scars and that metal arm, but it somehow made him mysterious and intriguing. Okay, yeah. If she was destined to be with this guy, things could definitely be worse. Smirking, she decided to test the waters...

"You ever think that maybe soulmates really exist?" Darcy asked, gripping the rail and staring up at the night sky. She laughed at her own question, shaking her head briefly to get the curls out of her face. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she second guessed it. Bucky wasn't going to honestly answer that. "Don't mind me… In fact, ignore that entirely."

Slowly turning so he could see her more fully, Bucky decided to take another look at this woman. Darcy, was still smiling, her head upturned as she watched the clouds roll through the night sky. She was pretty, unconventionally so, and for some odd reason, she'd chosen to come up to this roof and talk with him. No one else would have done that, especially given his dark and murderous past.

"Actually," he said with a small laugh of his own. "I guess if superhumans can be created, then there could be a possibility of someone having a soulmate." He shrugged when she glanced at him suddenly, her hair whipping in the breeze. He smiled. "What?"

"I just never took you for the type to believe in such a thing… Being all, cold and…"

"A killer?" he finished for her, feeling a sadness radiate within him when she flinched at his bluntness. "I guess people forget that I used to be a normal guy before I was programmed into the Winter Soldier."

"Yikes. When you put it that way." She crossed her arms and regarded him for another moment, feeling like the mood had changed. "I didn't mean anything by it, really. I just felt like-"

"Like we've been here before?" Boldly, he took a step toward her, reaching out with his nonmetal hand. Whether it was deja vu or something else, he wanted to see how she'd react.

Raising both eyebrows, Darcy stared at his extended hand for a minute, unsure what she was supposed to do. When he wiggled his fingers, she blinked and then placed hers on top. When their skin made contact, that feeling of deja vu returned tenfold. Feeling her lips quirk into a smile, she lifted her gaze and found him staring at her with just as much intensity as before.

"What does it mean?" she asked quietly, afraid of the answer.

"Hell if I know," Bucky replied honestly, closing his hand around hers and tugging her forward.

"Oof!" Darcy hit Bucky's chest a bit harder than he probably intended, but she used her free hand to grab hold of his shoulder so she wouldn't topple over.

"Sorry," he apologized, smirking in a way that told her he was far from sorry.

"Hey," she started to protest, "I'm not the type of girl who just falls into some guy's arms just because-"

Bucky decided it was time to take a chance on his fate, if he even believed in such a thing. It was New Year's Eve, a night for making promises so the coming year could be better. He was starting now, before the clock struck midnight. He wanted happiness. He wanted a chance at love. Maybe he could have that with Darcy… It was worth a shot and so he kissed her, effectively stopping her from managing to talk the both of them out of this thing.

In the end, Darcy decided it wasn't so bad, being kissed by the Winter Soldier. No, it was Bucky. This was Bucky, and aside from the chill of his metal arm through her sweater, he felt warm and real and _whole_. Eyes fluttering closed, she slid her hands up into his hair and kissed him back, embracing the feeling that she'd been here before because maybe she had. Maybe this was how it was supposed to be, her and Bucky coming together on New Year's Eve and falling in love in the New Year…

When it was over, they simply stared at one another, both speechless and unsure of what to do or say next. In the end, it was Darcy who spoke, a sly grin on her lips. "Okay… Apparently, I _am_ the type of girl to just randomly kiss a guy on a rooftop."

Bucky laughed, literally threw his head backward and laughed, and Darcy found she absolutely loved the sound of it. She'd never heard him laugh before, didn't even know it was possible. Frowning as he continued to laugh, she was just about to punch him in the shoulder to remind the him she was there when he stopped and took her face in both hands.

"I needed a good laugh. Thanks, doll," Bucky muttered before placing a kiss to her forehead. Taking a step back out her personal space, Bucky smirked at Darcy and again took her hand. "It's been a weird night. Care to go rejoin the festivities with me...as my date? I mean, I think they'll send a search party if I don't return you before the clock strikes twelve."

"And to think they say chivalry is dead?" Darcy laughed, shaking her head at Bucky and finding herself smiling like a god damned moron. What was happening to her? "I'm no Cinderella and I hardly think you're Prince Charming, but I'll accept your request anyway." She pretended to curtsy and then cringed. "Oh please never tell anyone I did that."

"You got it," Bucky said with a grin, squeezing her hand and tugging her toward the door. When she sighed in relief, Bucky felt his heartbeat quicken. This woman was fun and free and somehow willing to accept him for who he was. As they made their way back inside to the party, Bucky decided that this might be the New Year he'd wished for, after all. And even if it wasn't, he'd have a damned good time with Darcy at his side.


	12. It's a Date (Stony)

**Author's Note:** So Melting Pot (18+), a group I run on Facebook, is hosting the 28 Day Ship It Writing Challenge this month and that means I'm participating. That also means lots of fun new drabbles and one-shots coming your way. I'm hoping to break through some writers block. Also, I'm so happy I wrote this pairing again. I absolutely adore them. Thank you to SquarePeg72 for the quick alpha read! I can't wait to see your feedback! Much love, xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, quotes, and information belongs to Marvel and Marvel Studios, and anyone else that may own any part of it. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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 _It's a Date_  
Rated: T  
Pairing: Steve/Tony  
Summary: After Thanos takes his leave, Tony and Steve make plans for a future.  
Prompt: _28 Day Ship It Writing Challenge_ : Day One: The ship you would make canon

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 _It's a Date_

What was there to say? Thanos had come, wreaked havoc, and then disappeared again once he'd gathered a few of the Infinity Stones. Now, all they could do was wait for his imminent return. Tony, in his half destroyed Iron Man suit, wandered aimlessly through the remains of what once had been lower Manhattan. He felt oddly calm, his anxiety hidden under numerous layers of relief and hope.

Despite having failed at stopping Thanos from procuring the Infinity Stones, the Avengers had come back together, along with a few new faces. Deciding he might as well rid himself of his destroyed suit, he stepped from its tattered remains and took in the destruction. He barely registered the footsteps coming up behind him, not worried about who it might be.

"You know, as far as first dates go, almost being killed isn't the worst I've had."

"Who said anything about a date?" Tony returned, glancing over his shoulder to find Steve standing there. His presence wasn't unwelcome. In fact, he preferred his to anyone else's right now.

"Well, when you called, I thought it was to help save the day," Steve said by way of explanation, moving so that he was standing next to Tony now. "Then you had to go and save my life."

"You saved mine first." Tony replied, voice tight with emotion. Too easily he recalled being beaten by Thanos only to have Steve come to his aid. In turn, Thanos had tried to squeeze the life out of the Super Soldier. If it hadn't been for a well-aimed blast from his malfunctioning suit, Steve would be dead. "Thanks, by the way. For saving my sorry ass and coming to help us. We couldn't have survived this without you."

Steve turned and placed a comforting hand on Tony's shoulder. Squeezing, gently he smiled into his face before speaking. "It was nothing, Tony. I meant that I would always be there if you needed me."

Standing in silence, Tony began to wonder why Steve had yet to release his hold on his shoulder. Blinking slowly, he remembered the comment about first dates and became instantly curious. "So you said this wasn't the worst first date you've ever had?"

"To be fair," Steve began, slowly closing the space between them, "Most of my dates consisted of me promising more and then ending up either frozen in ice or on the run."

Unable to hold back, Tony started to laugh so hard Steve was forced to drop his hand. When he finally managed to control himself, Steve was watching him intently with his blue eyes. "Right then, Capsicle, I think maybe you deserve a real date. The works, ya know? Dinner, candles, wine and dine. The whole shebang."

"As long as it's with you, then I'm sure it will be a fine affair," Steve replied, dropping his voice and staring into Tony's warm, brown eyes.

" _Me_?" Tony asked, frowning and taking a step back. He'd thought they were just exchanging playful banter. Did that mean Steve considered him more than just a friend and colleague? When had that happened and why didn't he feel more alarmed?

"Of course, you. Who else would I go on a date with?" Steve was shaking his head, enjoying the way Tony _still_ didn't seem to understand that it was his pompous ass he cared for more than anyone else in the universe.

"Not me… We have… A not so great history." Tony was speechless, a feat in and of itself.

"Exactly. It's because of our history that I find myself caring for you the way I do. Why do you think I sent you that phone or came running when you gave me a call?" Steve paused here, allowing his words to settle in the smoke-laden air around them. When Tony merely shrugged, Steve sighed and forged onward. "It's because I care for you Tony. Now, will you stop being so dense and kiss me? Honestly, it's like you're the one who was frozen in ice for seventy years."

Tony's mouth dropped open in surprise, but he certainly didn't need to be told twice. Reaching forward, he grabbed Steve behind the neck and brought their mouths together. The kiss was everything he never knew he needed. There was passion and hope and the promise of more. When it ended, they were both grinning stupidly at one another. Tony merely shook his head and rested their sweaty foreheads together.

"Okay. Didn't see that coming, but I can't complain," he muttered, his eyes glittering in the light of the fading day. Wetting his lips, he couldn't help but taste the remnant of Steve which only made him want him all the more. "I'm buying you fucking roses. Two dozen." When Steve opened his mouth to complain, Tony cut him off. "Nope. Just accept it. I want to lavish you with gifts and take you to my favorites restaurants."

"Whatever you say, Tony," Steve conceded, unable to keep from smiling. "You can take me out on the town, once we clean it the hell up." Sighing, Steve took a step back and indicated the mess that had been left behind. They could flirt and make plans all they wanted, but they both knew they had a job to finish first.

Obviously not minding the fact that their budding romance had to wait, Tony reached forward and took Steve's hand in his own. Smiling genuinely for the first time in only God knew how long, he squeezed and set their future in motion.

"It's a date."


	13. Missing Chances (Brutasha)

**Author's Note:** Okay, we're at Day Three of the Ship It Writing Challenge. A ship you're ashamed of. Now, while I am not necessarily ashamed of Brutasha, I know it's not well perceived. They're not a ship I openly ship, secretly enjoying any moments they share together. I hope you like this anyway! Thank you to GaeilgeRua for the quick beta read! I can't wait to see your feedback! Much love, xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, quotes, and information belongs to Marvel and Marvel Studios, and anyone else that may own any part of it. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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 _Missing Chances_  
Rated: T  
Pairing: Bruce/Natasha  
Summary: Bruce decides not to miss any more chances when it comes to Natasha.  
Prompt: _28 Day Ship It Writing Challenge_ : Day Three: A ship you're ashamed of

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 _Missing Chances_

"So I hear you've been off planet for a couple of years."

Scratching the back of his head, Bruce was forced to acknowledge the other voice in the room. Turning around slowly, he met Nat's intense gaze and felt his heartbeat begin to race. _Keep it together_ , he told himself before shrugging and giving her a smile. For once, he was talking to himself and not the Hulk. She didn't deserve his cold shoulder, not that he truly had one, but still.

"Yeah, well, the Hulk was enjoying his time abroad," he admitted, his smile growing. While it had been a bit difficult allowing the Hulk to control their body for well over two years, he was ultimately glad for it. He was better at controlling the transformation, no longer worried about being stuck in that form forever.

"So, you're back for good then?" Nat asked, quirking an eyebrow and taking another step into the room.

Removing his glasses, Bruce used the simple t-shirt he wore to clean the lenses. He was buying time, trying to think of the right thing to say. In the end, he replaced his glasses on his face and shrugged. "For now. We all know how things normally end up for me and…" He trailed off, not wanting to make the moment awkward.

"Tony's missed you," Nat said by way of explanation, even though Bruce hadn't asked. "The whole 'science bros' thing. He's had a pretty rough time and could probably use a friend right now."

Bruce laughed. "I suppose I missed him too. I missed a lot of things," he admitted, swallowing and taking a step closer to Nat. For a while there, on Sakaar, the Hulk had thought he and Valkyrie might be compatible, but that's not who his heart truly beat for.

"Not this chaos, I wouldn't think," Nat joked, her lips curling into a smile of her own. He could tell she was holding back, obviously not wanting to get her hopes up. He couldn't blame her.

He knew she was referring to the threat of Thanos and the terror that would reign down upon them before too long. However, Bruce was tired of skirting around what really needed to be said. He'd spent two years cooped up inside of the Hulk never knowing if his friends were okay. Now, Bruce needed to know if what had started before Sokovia was real.

"Escaping through a space anus and battling gods was far more chaotic than anything we've dealt with before." Closing the short distance between the two of them, Bruce took Nat's chin between his thumb and forefinger. "What I was talking about missing...was you."

And then he kissed her. It was gentle, far gentler than either of them expected. She kissed him back slowly, tenderly, and when they eventually parted, she was smiling. It was the first true smile he'd ever seen on her face and it made him chuckle to finally see it. Dropping his hand from her chin, he interlaced their fingers and waited for her to say something.

"That was unexpected," she admitted aloud. Her eyes were sparkling and Bruce found she looked radiant.

"I can be that way sometimes, and not just because of my good friend, the Hulk." Squeezing her hand gently, he added, "After all this nonsense with Thanos is over, do you think we can, I don't know, just get out of here for a while? Alone? I don't want to miss yet another chance with you."

Nat took a moment to consider his words, peering at him as if she were studying a book. Finally, obviously seeing something she liked, she sighed happily. "I think I would enjoy that."

"Alright then," Bruce said, unable to fight back his grin. "I look forward to it."

"Me too," Nat said with a little laugh before kissing his cheek. It made him blush, which she seemed to thoroughly enjoy. "Now, let's get to work."


	14. Coffee Connection (Thorki)

**Author's Note:** I'll admit up front that I struggled with this one. I've only ever written a quick AU drabble so writing a full length one-shot proved most difficult for me. Anyway, I ended up enjoying where the muses took this one and I hope you do too. Happy Valentine's Day to all of you, especially stralend, who this was written for!

Alpha and Beta love goes to SquarePeg72 and GaeilgeRua. Thank you for being there while I muddled through this one. Any other mistakes you find are my own and I'll find and fix them eventually! Much love, xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, quotes, and information belongs to Marvel and Marvel Studios, and anyone else that may own any part of it. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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 _Coffee Connection_  
Rated: M  
Pairing: Thor/Loki  
Summary: After months of playing cat and mouse, Loki and Thor finally have a chance to make a connection one morning at their favorite coffee shoppe. 

Written for stralend as part of the Thorki Valentine Exchange 2018 hosted by thorkievents on tumblr. I know this isn't exactly what you asked for but it's the way the muses forced me to write it! I hope you love it anyway! Happy Valentine's Day!

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 _Coffee Connection_

Wiggling his fingers, Loki reached for the door handle of the coffee shoppe he often frequented in the mornings. As his long fingers wrapped around the handle and tugged it forward, he thought about his caffeine consumption and how it had taken an upturn these past few months. As he entered the establishment, he inhaled the scent of freshly made pastries and rich espresso. Honestly, he didn't mind that he had to get up an extra fifteen minutes early or that he had to take a different route on his way to his boring desk job just to make it here before having to clock in at work. After those first few encounters, he'd deemed the effort worth it and even relished the little thrill he got each time he found himself here.

The shoppe was bustling as usual this Friday morning, and Loki strode forward on his long legs to join the back of the queue. There were about seven people ahead of him, and with a quick glance at his pocket watch, he estimated he could linger here for about thirty or so minutes before he ran the risk of being late this morning. Sighing heavily, he raked a hand through his long, dark hair and tried not to appear too impatient or distracted. The truth of it was, though, that he was more than hoping for a change appearance of Mr. Tall, Broad, and Handsome.

It had been a little over a week since the object of his affections had graced the coffee shoppe with his presence, and Loki was more than hoping that today would be the day he broke the dry spell. Of course, Loki knew the man's name, having heard it called out numerous times over the past few months to announce his coffee order was complete. He'd just never had the opportunity to properly talk to him other than the occasional 'Pardon me' or 'Sorry' as they maneuvered through the busy shoppe. More than anything Loki wanted to utter the name aloud.

 _Thor_.

It was exotic, in a way. Unique such as his own name was, and Loki desperately wished to say it aloud, if only once. He knew this was not meant to be, for as he ordered his Macchiato and paid, he was disappointed to find that the burly man was not in the queue behind him. Sighing, Loki stepped aside to await his drink, checking his pocket watch once more to decide if it was even worth lingering after all. Just as he was about to make a decision, and his name was called by the barista, the door opened at the front of the shoppe.

Loki glanced up by chance at the sound of little bell signaling a new arrival, only to catch the gaze of the man he'd just been daydreaming about. Thor, in his perfectly fitted suit and tie, strode through the door just as Loki accepted his coffee. As if feeling his gaze upon him, dazzling blue eyes briefly met Loki's dashing green before a small smile was thrown his way and he joined the queue. Loki merely blinked, entirely taken by surprise by the smile…

Shaking himself from whatever spell the man unknowingly placed upon him, Loki took his coffee and found the only open table by the front window. Settling into the seat, he tried not to think too much on the occurrence. Surely, Thor had only smiled because Loki happened to make eye contact at the exact moment he walked through the door. Yes, that must be it. There was no other explanation to be had. No way in Hell had he been hoping to see Loki this morning. It was simply preposterous.

Pushing these thoughts aside, Loki took a sip of his coffee and then withdrew his laptop from his satchel so he could check his email prior to arriving at work. No reason to sit idly by when he was bound to be late now that he had a reason to linger in the shoppe. Out of the corner of his eye, Loki watched as Thor ordered and paid for his caffeine fix as he booted up the laptop. By the time he was logging into his email account, Thor had received his drink and was glancing around the small shoppe in search of a place to sit and read the newspaper tucked under his left arm.

With a start, Loki realized there were no tables available, and that the occupied ones were all full to capacity. Well, all of them except for his, that was. He still had a single chair available at his. Surely, the man wouldn't come and ask to sit with him. He'd just take his coffee to go. A nervous thrill shivered down his spine as he saw Thor begin to zigzag through the multitude of tables until he was standing right next to Loki.

"Morning," Thor said brightly, drawing Loki's attention away from the list of unopened emails on his computer screen. Once Loki was staring up at him, face devoid of any emotion other than curiosity, Thor continued. "I'm Thor. I see you have an open seat at your table. Would you be bothered if I joined you?"

Mouth suddenly dry, Loki merely shook his head. It took him another second to get his thoughts together so he could properly form a sentence. "I do not mind." He gestured to the chair across from him with one hand.

As Thor smiled brightly and took a seat, Loki wanted to punch himself in the face for acting so shy all of a sudden. Normally, he was brilliant with words. A silver tongue as his mates from college would say. Now, nothing. He merely sat there in silence as Thor settled in and sipped at is coffee. Before Thor could catch his eye, Loki ducked his eyes to stare once more at his computer screen, though he saw nothing at all.

After some time spent avoiding conversation, Thor obviously grew tired of the uncomfortable silence and cleared his throat. This caused Loki to glance up from the email he definitely was not reading to stare into the friendly face. Smiling, Thor nodded toward the computer on the table.

"Hard at work or hardly working?" he asked, sipping his drink and causing Loki's heart to flutter.

"Checking emails," Loki said by way of explanation. He smirked then, adding, "But I will admit to being rather distracted this morning."

"My fault?" Thor inquired, his beard twitching with a grin.

"Indeed," Loki carried on, feeling more confident and at ease with each passing second. When Thor's eyes lit up at the response, he used both hands to shut the lid of his laptop and give his unexpected coffee companion his full attention. After all, isn't this what he'd been wanting for weeks now? "I find your presence entirely distracting, but," he paused holding up a finger, "in a good way."

"I'll tell you, I was rather glad to see your table was the only one with an empty seat." Thor set his coffee cup on the table and played with the lid. "I've been looking for an excuse to talk to you."

Loki's eyebrows crept right up his forehead. "Really? And here I was thinking you had no idea I even existed aside from the occasional greeting while standing in the queue."

Thor let out a booming laugh that made the few tables around them glance their way. Loki allowed his long hair to shield his face from their view, but kept his eyes trained on Thor. Despite being embraced at the attention Thor drew, he wanted to hear that laugh again. Reaching out, he picked up his macchiato and brought it to his lips while inspecting Thor with his emerald eyes.

"I take it that my assumptions were incorrect?" Loki quirked a single eyebrow as he waited for a response.

"You couldn't be further from the truth," Thor admitted. "You command attention anytime you're in this place. That penetrating stare, your air of elegance. My curiosity was piqued the very first time I laid eyes on you."

Tapping the tips of his fingers upon the wooden tabletop, Loki considered this information. He had long hoped that Thor might find him attractive, or rather, that he was, in fact, interested in men to some capacity. It was so difficult to find a proper date these days. Granted, he still had no idea if Thor was interest in that way, but he was starting to feel a little more than hopeful given the way the man's blue eyes kept glancing at his lips.

Time to test the theory.

"So you've been checking me out, hmmm?' he queried playfully, sitting up a tad straighter in his chair so that his expensive suit pulled across his chest. As predicted, Thor's eyes dropped to his chest and then lifted back toward his face, pausing briefly at his lips before meeting his eyes once more.

Ta-da.

Thor wasn't easily ruffled, however. He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms across his broad chest. Now it was Loki's turn to drool. Thor seemed pleased by this and said, "I'll admit you're rather easy on the eyes." Leaning forward, he added in a whisper, "And don't think I haven't noticed the way you stare at me across the crowded shoppe."

Loki found himself rather speechless at that so he reached for his coffee and took a sip, if only to stall for a moment. Collecting his thoughts, he said, "I suppose we've both have been watching the other with keen interest." Here, Loki paused, finishing his coffee and giving Thor some time to drink his. Glancing out the window, Loki figured he might as well take a chance. He may never get another if he let the moment pass by. "Now, it would seem, we need to decide what to do next."

"I think that's easy enough," Thor replied, setting aside his finished drink. "Do you want to meet for lunch one day this week? I know a few restaurants within walking distance. I think it's safe to assume you work in the vicinity just as I do."

"I do work nearby," Loki clarified, gesturing out the window. "I work in the tall building two blocks down the road."

"Perfect," Thor said, clapping his hands together happily. "I'm just three the opposite. So, what do you say? Lunch tomorrow, or perhaps, Friday?" He looked so excited about the prospect, Loki suddenly felt horrible he was about to disappoint the man. As if sensing his hesitation, Thor reached out and took hold of his hand.

Blinking, Loki first looked to their clasped hand and then back up at him. "I do apologize, but I typically don't get enough time to leave the building for lunch," Loki admitted with a frown. Disappointment welled in his chest knowing that he'd probably just turned down his one chance at a proper date with Thor. It was hard to think with Thor's hand holding his own. "I tend to work through lunch to make up for my tardiness."

"How about dinner then? Friday night?" Thor asked, his thumb brushing over the sensitive underside of Loki's wrist and sending shivers up and down his spine. Apparently, he wasn't to be thwarted, eager to find a time when they could get together outside of this coffee shoppe.

Loki's heart leapt at the prospect of a dinner date rather than lunch or yet another morning spent here in the shoppe. Dinner allowed for more time talking and getting to know one another. There would be no rushing to pay the bill and hurry back to their jobs. They could linger over wine and possibly dessert… Yes, Loki thought, dinner was a wonderful option, especially as his heart continued to race and butterflies formed in his stomach the longer Thor held his hand.

How was he supposed to say no when Thor was making him feel such a way? He'd thought it was just a simple coffee shoppe crush, but now he was concerned it was much more than that. They had a connection, that much was evident in the way Loki felt both at ease and electrified in his presence. Hadn't it been only twenty minutes ago he'd thought he'd never have the opportunity to talk to the man let alone be asked to dinner by him? Loki was anything but stupid, knowing when to take advantage of an opportunity.

Taking a deep breath, Loki nodded. "Sure, I'd like that," he answered, allowing a smile to grace his lips. Thor seemed pleased by his response; those blue eyes of his lighting up even further. He further relaxed and inquired, "What time and where?"

"Here," Thor said as he released his hand to dig in his pocket for a scrap of paper. It turned out to be his receipt from his coffee order, Loki noticed as a pen appeared in his other hand. Thor scribbled something down on the tab and handed it over. "That's my mobile number. I'm late for work and I suspect you are too, but shoot me a text later this afternoon and we'll set up the details."

With that, Thor stood and collected both their empty coffee cups. With one last dashing smile, he sauntered to the door. Loki twisted around in his seat to catch his eye one last time as he deposited their trash in the bin and exited the shoppe. He didn't miss the exaggerated wink Thor threw his way as he disappeared in the foot traffic. When he was out of sight, Loki turned back around and simply stared into space for a moment.

What had just happened? He'd hoped to see Thor this morning, sure, but this was unexpected in all the very best of ways. A date. They had a date, and this week no less. Shaking his head at his luck, Loki packed up his laptop and prepared to head to work. His boss would be disappointed in his tardiness, but this time he didn't really care. Stepping outside, Loki frowned and joined the throng of people heading this way and that.

Screw waiting until this afternoon, Loki thought as he dug his mobile out of his pocket. Continuing down the sidewalk, he quickly entered Thor's number and typed a message.

 _You never asked my name._

Just before he entered the lobby of his building, the mobile chirped, signaling the arrival of a text. Loki paused, a smile lighting his face at the reply. He had to give it to Thor, he was sharper than he'd originally thought.

 _Coffee cup. Talk to you later, Loki. x_

Tucking the mobile away, Loki hurried to the lift, barely making it before the doors closed. As he ascended to his floor, he thought about what a good morning it had been and how the afternoon and evening held the possibility of being just as brilliant.

. . . .

After texting nearly nonstop all week, accompanied by a few calls that lasted for hours, Loki had been more than ready for his dinner date with Thor. It turned out they were more than compatible and Loki was anxious to spend time in his company outside of the coffee shop. Both of them hadn't had the opportunity to stop by again in the morning so they were left with text messages and calls to tide them over until Friday.

In Loki's opinion, it was worth it.

That thought only magnified as Thor's broad body slammed him into the closed door of his flat so he could continue their frantic kissing. Dinner had been a fun affair, some fancy Brazilian restaurant where they brought the tantalizing meats right to the table for your selection. As Thor's mouth left his to trail hot, wet kisses down the column of his neck, Loki was reminded of how distracted he'd been at dinner.

Sure, it was lovely to wine and dine with someone you were thoroughly interested in, but when said person continued to casually brush his hand against your thigh under the table or lean a little too far into your personal space so you could smell his crisp clean scent, well, you became a bit distracted. By the time dessert and the tab had arrived, Loki was worked into such a fit of arousal, he wished he could simply rip a hole in the astral plane and bring them back to his flat.

The Uber ride took entirely too long in his opinion, but he was now rewarded for his patience. He used both hands to slide Thor's suit jacket from his shoulders, hoping the man didn't mind that they were about to leave it in a crumpled heap upon the floor. He'd forgone a jacket, wearing simple black trousers, white button-down, and a accompanying black tie. Thor was currently loosening the knot of said tie as Loki continued to divest the man of his clothes.

Loki had to admit that suspenders really were a magical thing. The way they pulled Thor's trousers so tightly against his arse made him bite his lip to keep from groaning aloud earlier in the night. Now, he simply enjoyed hooking his thumbs in the bands and drawing them slowly down Thor's arms. Pausing, Thor lifted his head from his neck to give him a lopsided grin. Loki returned it with a wolfish one of his own.

"I take it you have no problem with sex on the first date?" the larger man asked, slowly sliding Loki's tie from his collar and allowing it to join his jacket on the floor.

"After an entire week of teasing," Loki said, his voice low and wicked, "I see nothing wrong with you joining me between the sheets. After all, one seems to appear more than eager to do just that."

Thor chuckled, his hands beginning to unbutton his crisp, navy blue shirt. "I dare say that you and I have waited long enough to get to this point, wouldn't you agree?"

"I would," Loki replied, licking his lips as Thor's muscular chest slowly began to come into view. He took both hands and placed them on the man's shoulders before beginning to slowly guide him backwards toward where the bedroom was located. "The wait has been excruciatingly painful."

Again, Thor chuckled. "Good, but I don't want you to think I'm rushing things. I do want to continue getting to know you, Loki. I feel like we have some sort of connection. I don't see you as a simple conquest, a one night stand, if you will."

Loki paused, the two of them now standing just inside his bedroom. To the left, his bed sat waiting for them. He couldn't help hesitating, Thor's words suddenly making him wonder if they actually _were_ rushing into things. They may have frequented the same coffee shoppe for months, but there was a fine line between coffee date and coming back to one's flat after dinner. Loki had mere seconds to decide which way he wanted this to go.

Dropping his hands from Thor's shoulder, he ran nervous fingers through his hair. Exhaling sharply, he met Thor's patient eyes and smiled. "Look, I'll admit that I want more than anything for you to take me to that bed and ravish me endlessly right now…"

"But?" Thor prompted, the corners of his mouth turned upward in a knowing grin.

"But," Loki continued, crossing his arms and trying to gather his thoughts. "I'll hold off if it means we turn this night into something more solid. I haven't been in a long term relationship in quite some time, and I'd like to see where this goes." He gestured between their two bodies, indicating what he meant.

Thor sighed, shaking his head in what Loki could only describe as relief. One larger hand reached out and clasped his neck and pulled him forward. Thor placed a chaste kiss upon his lips, lingering perhaps a tad longer than necessary. When he pulled back, he stared down into Loki's face and murmured, "I think we agree on this matter. What do you say we open a bottle of that wine you told me about and get to know each other better before we fall between the sheets?"

"I think that sounds magnificent," Loki answered, a true smile lighting up his face. He took Thor's hand and led him back out of the bedroom and through to the living room. After setting Thor up on the sofa, he retrieved a bottle of wine and two glasses from his kitchen before joining him. "So," he began, uncorking the bottle, "What should we toast to this evening?" He met Thor's eyes as he filled both their glasses.

Smiling warmly, Thor took his glass and swirled the deep red liquid for a moment as he contemplated Loki's question. After a spell, he lifted his glass. "How about, to new beginnings and taking chances?"

"Cheers!" Loki replied, clinking his glass against Thor's before they both took sips of the expensive wine.

Afterward, they eased into a comfortable conversation that lasted until the early hours of the morning. Of course, there was cuddling and kissing involved, but both remained true to their word that they would get to know one another better before taking that next big step. By the time the sun had fully risen in the sky, both were drowsy but still not quite ready to say goodbye.

Together, they decided to walk to their favorite coffee shoppe; after all, that was where they first made their connection. And if they just so happened to return to Loki's flat later that morning and fall asleep in one another's arms, neither of them were about to complain. They had the entire rest of the weekend to finish getting to know one another, as well as forevermore.


	15. Snake (Thor & Loki)

**Author's Note:** A quick kid thorki one-shot for a pinch hit to the Thorki Valentine's Day event on tumblr.

Alpha love goes to SquarePeg72. Any mistakes you find are my own and I'll find and fix them eventually! Much love, xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, quotes, and information belongs to Marvel and Marvel Studios, and anyone else that may own any part of it. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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 _Snake_  
Rated: T ( for mild violence)  
Pairing: Thor/Loki  
Summary: Thor learns that there may be a darkness to his brother after all.

Written for fantasystoryteller as part of the Thorki Valentine Exchange 2018 hosted by thorkievents on tumblr! Happy *late* Valentine's Day!

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 _Snake_

Thor wandered through the lush gardens outside of the Asgardian palace. He was bored out of his mind after having spent the morning learning grueling lessons in preparation for when he one day become king. That was still many a year away but, alas, it had to be done. Father insisted upon it, as did mother. In truth, Thor rather looked forward to the days when he could rule over nine realms. It had to be far more fun than simply spending endless hours pouring over ancient scrolls and listening to lecture after lecture.

As he rounded a bend in the garden, Thor thought of how unfair it was that Loki did not have to endure the same lectures he did. He'd always assumed that the throne was available to the both of them but Loki spent more time learning to master his seidr than the history of the realms. Then again, Loki did spend more time in the Asgardian library than he did in his free time. Perhaps, Loki was working on his studies at his own pace.

Speaking of Loki… Where was he? Usually, he would meet Thor after his morning session and they would go off to the stables together for a few hours before being summoned for supper and other family obligations. Sighing, Thor slowed to a slow stroll rather than the purposeful stride he'd assumed after leaving the library. Glancing around, there was no sign of Loki or even an indication of where he might be.

Maybe he should just turn around and head back inside instead of venturing to the stables. Surely, Loki would seek him out later if he wanted to be found. Loki sometimes preferred his solitude, especially as they grew older. At merely eight years old, they were still extremely close brothers, but there were times where Thor could sense there may be something lurking under the surface of Loki's affection. Jealousy, maybe.

Thor hated to think that his brother may grow to hate him if he were to take the throne instead of him, but that was definitely a risk. There was no denying that Thor would feel ever the same if the tides turned and Loki was the one to become ruler of the nine realms. Frowning, Thor dropped down to sit upon a bench under one of his mother's beloved apple trees. Norns, if Loki were to take the throne, Thor would be heartbroken and furious beyond belief. He'd always just assumed he was the better fit for the position than his mischievous brother.

As he sat pondering upon this, Thor noticed a slight rustling in the grass at the edge of the path he'd previously been walking. Narrowing his eyes, Thor watched as the grass parted and out slithered a lithe little snake. It made its way across the path, almost as if it were seeking Thor out for some reason or another. It was a curiously beautiful creature; its black scales sleek and shining in the mid-morning sun. Its pink tongue flickered out to taste the air the closer it moved toward Thor; the color a wonderful contract to its sparkling green eyes.

Rising slowly so as not to startle the creature, Thor gingerly closed the remaining space. He loved snakes, always had, and desperately wanted to examine this one more closely. Sensing his movement, the snake paused but did not try to flee. Grinning at his luck, Thor bent over and tentatively picked up the snake. It did not wriggle or attempt to bite him for which Thor was grateful. He had no way of knowing if it was poisonous and did not wish to explain to his mother that he'd somehow managed to get poisoned by recklessly picking up unknown creatures. Again.

Holding the snake in the palms of his hands, Thor let out a hushed sigh. "My, you truly are a beautiful creature. I wonder where you hailed from?" He was about to add that he should hurry and locate Loki so he could share this find with his beloved brother when the creature thrashed wildly in his hands.

He startled, immediately dropping the snake. Before it even reached ground, the snake shimmered gold and green and shifted to reveal Loki's form. Without hesitation, Loki revealed a dagger and said, "It's me!" Then, he promptly grabbed Thor by one shoulder while thrusting the dagger directly into the delicate flesh under his ribcage. As Thor dropped to his knees from the shock and pain, Loki cackled with hilarity.

Thor glanced up at his brother through the pain, feeling betrayed and ashamed by his trickery. Never before had his brother used his magic to trick him in such a way. For the first time, Thor was seeing Loki in a new light, one in which his previous musings were not that farfetched. While he loved Loki desperately, there was still that part of his brother he had no idea about. It was the dark part, the part that allowed him to trick him so.

"Loki… _Why_?" Thor asked as he shakily removed the bloodied dagger from his body. He would heal easily, the dagger miniscule compared to the ones full grown warriors were equipped with.

Loki stopped laughing as Thor dropped the dagger onto the grass at their feet. A steely smirk stole its way across his features as he shrugged. "Mother taught me how to shapeshift. I wanted to see if I could fool you, my closest companion." The smirk widened into a wolfish grin. "It worked."

"I _ought_ to tell mother what you've done," Thor threatened, putting pressure on his wound. 'You could have killed me."

"Ah, now, Thor," Loki replied, sidling up to his brother and throwing one arm casually around his waist and pulling him near. "I would never aim to maim you. I love you more than anyone. 'Twas but a trick done in jest and for educational purposes. Have I not allowed you to practice your skills on me from time to time?"

"I suppose you have," Thor answered reluctantly. It was easy to forget such things in the heat of a moment. "I simply did not expect you to stab me. I've never wounded you like this."

"I'm sure there will come a day when it happens whether by accident or on purpose," Loki said as he dropped his arm and backed away. "Now, shall we make our way to the stables or do you require healing, dear brother?"

There was a bit of mockery behind Loki's words. Frowning, Thor took a deep breath and decided he was well enough to go to the stables. Sighing heavily, he playfully punched Loki in the arm. When Loki flinched, he felt a bit better. "Aye, brother. Let us go and enjoy the day. Shall we race? I bet you dessert that I can still beat you to the stable gate even while wounded." Quirking an eyebrow he had to bite back a grin as Loki glowered.

"You're on," Loki said in a rush before turning and running off without waiting.

"Hey!" Thor called after his cheating brother. "I never said go!" Loki merely laughed, the sound carrying behind him as he dashed between the trees.

Thor took off running, his own laugh accompanying Loki's as they ran together, both nearly neck and neck the entire way. Even though he'd been betrayed, literally stabbed by his own brother, Thor couldn't find it in his heart to hate or even be angry with his younger sibling. In fact, it just made him want to love him harder. Someday they would be forced to go toe-to-toe for the throne, but today was not that day and he intended to enjoy it nonetheless.


	16. Redemption for the Wicked (LokiJane)

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the lateness of this. It's been quite a while since I wrote a Marvel only fic and I've never written Lokane so I hope you enjoy this!

Thank you to GaeilgeRua for allowing me to use her Grammarly! Any other mistakes are defntiely my own and I apologize for them. Much love, xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, quotes, and information belongs to Marvel and Marvel Studios, and anyone else that may own any part of it. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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 _Redemption for the Wicked_  
Rated: T  
Pairing: Loki/Jane Foster  
Summary: In the aftermath of the Infinity War, Jane comes to pay her respects to Thor's memory. Loki begins to see her in a different light and it's possible that she sees him differently now too.

Written for iamartemisday as part of the Women of MCU St Valentine Exchange 2019 hosted by womenofmcu on tumblr! Happy *late* Valentine's Day!

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 _Redemption for the Wicked_

Quietly, Loki watched as Jane placed a single rose on Thor's grave. They were back in Norway, the God of thunder bringing what remained of his people to this peaceful land. He'd died not long after, defending the world and reinstating it to what it was supposed to be. Only, it cost him his life in the process. Rolling his eyes, Loki thought it ridiculous that Thor had a grave. They'd sent his body out to sea, burning as it was meant to be to take his soul to Valhalla.

Nevertheless, the Avengers insisted on a place where people could come and grieve one of the many who had perished saving their world from Thanos. Of course, the first person to arrive would be Jane. She'd broken things off with Thor, and yet here she was, grieving his loss nonetheless. Sentiment. Such weakness. He'd mourned Thor's loss in his own way, weaving a piece of his hair into his own and then adding his helm symbol to the leather valances he wore upon his arms.

Sighing heavily, Loki watched as Jane finished paying her respects and turned to walk back the way she came. The wind blew her hair back from her face, revealing tear-stained cheeks. Frowning, Loki waited for her to come closer before speaking.

"He's not really there, you know," he quipped as she came by where he stood.

Jane rolled her eyes, not pausing but rather slowing down. Meeting Loki's emerald gaze, she said, "I know your traditions. No one bothered to wait for me to arrive. I was only a few hours out when I heard you all went and did the ceremony. Come on, you're buying me a drink." Then, she resumed her previous pace and headed to where she'd parked her rental car.

Loki stared after her in surprise. He had no idea what Jane had planned, but his curious nature forced him to follow after her. He quickly climbed inside the car and waited for her to say more. When she did not, he said, "I have no Midgardian currency with which to purchase a drink for you."

Jane shot him a glare as she started the engine. "Fine, then. I'll buy myself a drink, and you can sit and explain what the hell happened." As she began to drive off, she made a noise of surprise and added, "And you can also explain why you're still on this planet and not locked up in some fancy anti-magic compound."

Smirking, Loki relaxed into the comfort of the seats as she drove. "Fair enough, but that second part requires you to buy me a drink." He smirked when her eyes slid to stare angrily at him.

"Fine," Jane ground out, returning her gaze to the road before her. "But only one."

. . . .

A few hours later found Loki and Jane sitting comfortably in a pub. The other patrons seemed to be avoiding them, and for that, Loki was grateful. Jane was a few drinks deep while he was nursing his second. It hadn't been that hard to convince the woman to purchase him more than one. Conversation flowed smoothly between the two of them. He found her work far more interesting than he imagined and she was intrigued by the fact that the Avengers were allowing him to stay as long as he remained in Norway. Then again, he had helped save the universe from Thanos' destruction.

The longer they remained in the pub, the harder it was to remember why this woman irritated him in the past. She was intelligent and quick-witted. She laughed at his jokes and gave just as much as she took when it came to his teasing. Clearly, Thor had been a moron to allow her to slip out of his grasp. That was the thing about lovers though; sometimes they just grew apart. Staring into Jane's eyes as she told him a story about what she'd been up to during the last battle, Loki had to admit she was as beautiful as she was funny and smart.

"So that's why Darcy moved to New York, and I came back to London. Although, now that I'm in Norway, I wouldn't mind staying for a bit," Jane finished explaining as she accepted the shot she'd ordered from the barkeep.

Loki had declined the offer of a shot, not wanting to become overly intoxicated. It wasn't as is Midgardian liquor truly affected him anyway. It took far more than he was sure Jane was willing to pay. Watching as she downed her shot and ordered another, Loki smirked and decided to take the conversation in another direction. He was hoping to discern whether or not Jane was open to a new relationship or if she was still pining after Thor.

"So I take it that you have not seen anyone since you and my brother ended things," Loki began, watching her face for the slightest reaction. His smirk grew as she rolled her eyes.

"When Thor and I decided to end things-"

"Are you saying it really was a mutual break?" Loki cut in, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "I always thought he was lying to me when he said that."

"He wasn't lying," Jane said defensively. "Our separation was mutual. I will admit, he did say he would love me forever, and if ever I changed my mind he would be willing to reconsider, but we knew it had to end."

Loki's eyebrows threatened to disappear into his hairline at that statement. He sipped his drink as he considered his next words carefully. Setting aside his mug, he said, "My apologies. I never intended to upset you. I simply thought my brother was trying to downplay the situation so he would not seem insulted."

Jane shrugged and took another shot. Cringing slightly, she said, "Break-ups are complicated. We both wanted different things. I wanted to stay here on Earth, and he wanted me to travel all over the universe looking for clues about the Infinity Stones. It wasn't meant to be."

"I suppose not," Loki said quietly, ducking his eyes and watching as the tip of his finger traced the rim of his mug. "I apologise for interrupting."

"It's okay. Anyways," Jane said waving the barkeep away when he approached to refill her shot glass. "When we ended things, I knew he would be hard to replace."

"You're still in love with him," Loki pointed out, a single eyebrow quirking.

She shook her head, paused, and then shrugged. "Yes and no. I suppose I'll always love Thor in some ways, but I stopped being in love with him a while ago."

Loki nodded, fully understanding what she meant. Although he had never truly been in love, he understood enough about sentiment that he could empathise with her feelings. Taking in Jane's glassy eyes, Loki decided they'd had enough for one night. "Perhaps we should head back to the new settlement?"

When Jane nodded, he motioned for the barkeep to come over. They paid their tab and then Loki helped Jane from the booth and to the outside. She was far too intoxicated for the time to drive, so Loki settled her on a bench until she was sober enough to drive them back to the settlement.

"Loki," Jane said, hiccuping slightly as they sat on the bench in front of the pub waiting for her to sober up enough to drive. "Has anyone ever told you that you smell lovely? It's like freshly fallen snow and worn leather."

"Has anyone ever told you that you are quite talkative when inebriated?" Loki replied, smirking as he did so. She was also adorable, but he wasn't going to say that aloud. Not now. Not yet.

Jane merely smiled, pulled out her phone, and began swiping through some emails. Loki sat there in silence, wondering how long Jane would mourn his brother. He was intrigued by her simplistic beautiful and her intelligent mind. He wished to learn more about her and possibly see if there could be something between them like what she had with his brother. For now, though, Loki was satisfied to have a simple conversation with Jane. He did not want to press luck or cause Jane any reason to go back to hating him.

An hour or so later, Loki deemed Jane suitable to drive, and they began the journey back to the settlement. They got in the car and drove into the night, Jane talking quietly of her plans now that the world had returned to somewhat normalcy.

. . . .

It was far later than either of them intended when they arrived back at the new Asgardian settlement. Loki had insisted on waiting until she'd mostly sobered up before allowing her to get behind the wheel. He'd then used magic to place a protection spell around the vehicle to keep them and others safe. Most of the newly built houses were dark save for a few. Loki and Jane stood awkwardly by her car, their conversation from earlier weighing heavily on both their minds. Loki knew how he was feeling, but he had no idea how Jane was feeling nor what she was about to do.

Without warning, Jane leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. It took him entirely by surprise, but he did not complain. For a moment, Loki kissed her back, enjoying the taste of her mouth and the way she practically melted into his arms. When she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, Loki was reminded of the alcohol they'd consumed, and he gently withdrew.

"Look," Loki said, pulling away but keeping his hand firmly on the back of her head. "This is wrong. We shouldn't be doing this."

"You worry about what Thor would think," Jane said slowly, running a hand through her hair and looking a bit sheepish. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. Read the signals wrong I guess."

"No. It's fine," Loki said honestly, smirking. "I heard you when you said that the two of you were through. He loved you, dearly, but he would never be angry at me for being with you. Especially after his death. Not if it meant I could be happy."

"Then what's stopping you then?"Jane inquired, swallowing back the rejection. Her disappointment was written all over her face.

"You are far too inebriated. I would feel as if i was taking advantage of the situation if I were to allow things to move further tonight," Loki informed jane as he released his hold on her and took a step backwards. He gestured toward the car they'd exited moments before and added, "Perhaps you will feel different in the morning. We can discuss whatever this is between us then."

"You know," Jane said with a smile as she opened the car door. "People don't give you enough credit. Maybe there's redemption for the wicked yet. Most men would have easily taken me to bed."

"I'm not most men," Loki pointed out with a quirk of his eyebrow. He also crossed his arms with disappointment. "Mortals disgust me. I was taught to respect women."

"Wow," Jane said with a large grin. "Okay. Definitely respect that. Thank you for going out with me tonight, and for letting me practically throw myself at you."

"The pleasure was all mine, Jane," Loki said, bowing his head slightly. "Be sure to drive safely."

"I will," she said, dropping her gaze briefly to hide a slight blush. When she glanced back up, she'd regained her composure. "See you around, Loki."

Loki merely nodded as she slid into the car and then eventually drove away into the night. He wasn't sure what it was, but there was definitely something intriguing about Jane that he'd not noticed thoroughly before. He still wasn't sure how Thor would feel about him being with Jane, but there was no denying the chemistry between them. Once the taillights had faded into nothingness, Loki finally turned away to return to his home amongst what remained of the Asgardian race.

Perhaps Jane was right- Maybe there was hope for him yet. Redemption. If there were, it would come in the form of love. Looking upward at the starry sky, Loki found himself grinning stupidly. He would undoubtedly be willing to give it a try. Then, with the taste of Jane still on his lips, Loki required for the night, grateful for once that someone believed there was still good inside of him. Tomorrow he would seek out Jane and see if she always felt the same in the light of day.


End file.
